Design Jewelry and Accessories Magazine: Gemstone Special: Arizona Wired Elegance

Ever since I joined Etsy, an enormous online community for buyers and sellers of handmade, vintage and supplies products, I have been browsing for beautiful items. That is how I came accross Arizona Wired Ekegance, an online shop with stunning handmade wirewrap jewelry. So I decided to interview its owners for Design Jewelry and Accessories magazine.

“Tell me about who you are, where you live, the location of your shop, workshop, who creates the jewelry.”

“My husband, Ryan DeWitt, and I created Wired Elegance two years ago. It’s been an amazing experience for us to share - one that is away from the daily grind of work and the hustle and bustle of raising young children. Located in Tucson, Arizona, my husband works as an electrical engineer by day and a jewelry artist by night! He comes from a very artistic family and has experimented with different mediums, but he found his niche in jewelry. He makes all of our wire wrapped pieces and is currently experimenting with other forms of jewelry making. Soon, we hope to add a few new types into our store! A former teacher, I now stay home with our three children. My days are filled with preschool, sports activities, and diapers. During nap times and night times, I create the chainmaille pieces in our store and maintain the business (customer relations, online store, taxes, etc.)

Our garage has been transformed into a full lapidary shop so that we have the ability to cut and polish cabochons. We have a silver-smithing workbench in our garage as well, where my husband is experimenting with textured silver and various other types of jewelry. Our chainmaille and wire wrapped pieces are created in our home. My husband has a set up in our den, out of reach from little hands. Each night he sits at the desk and listens to music as he creates beautiful pieces.

Currently, our jewelry is sold online as well as at art/craft shows in the Phoenix/Tucson area.”

“Do you have a favorite stone you work with?”

From Ryan DeWitt:

“I wouldn’t say that I have a particular type of stone to work with, but I do have a favorite shape that I enjoy. I really like the challenge of working with the bizarre, odd shapes. They provide me an escape from my standard patterns and force me to be more creative. I often have to think “outside the box” with these pieces and find that the finished products are quite rewarding in the end!”

“What do you feel influences your designs?”

Ryan DeWitt:

“I really believe ‘less is more’ when working with wire. I prefer simplistic

patterns that flow and highlight each stone. The stones themselves are beautiful. I use the wire to form organic, fluid movement in an attempt to highlight their beauty in an elegant way, not to detract from them. It’s hard to say what exactly influences my specific designs because it is more of a feeling than any particular attribute. When I look at a stone, I mentally develop different possible designs based on its size and features and then go from there. As I’m wrapping a piece, sometimes I’ll get inspired to try something new…sometimes this doesn’t work, and other times I am pleasantly surprised. My mistakes also guide my designs, and are often a blessing in disguise!

If I make a mistake, it forces me to brainstorm and be creative to find a solution. Truth be told, most of my designs are an indirect result of my mistakes!”

“Which is your favorite item ever created?”

Ryan: “I would have to say the Carved Amber Pendant is my favorite piece that I’ve done thus far. I had never wrapped a carved stone before and was a bit skeptical of the outcome. The shape of the stone and the design carved in the amber appealed to my creative nature. The finished result was stunning! It was so unexpected and completely different than anything I’d ever done.”

If we were to select a fellow jewelry designer as a ‘favorite’, it would be Scott McNeely from Maya Canyon. His work is exceptional. He has the same philosophy of ‘less is more’ and really lets the pieces speak for themselves. We have admired his work for years, and are able to stay in touch each February as he and his wife travel to Tucson for the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show.”

“What is your dream for your brand in the future?”

“We love to dream about the possibilities for Wired Elegance. We hope to grow as artists and explore creating different types of jewelry. If we are dreaming big, we’d also love to have someone from every country in the world wearing a piece of our jewelry! Knowing that something we have made is being worn by someone on the other side of the planet is an amazing feeling!"

"Who is your favorite designer and why?”

“My husband comes from a very artistic family. Their life-long work has definitely inspired him and influenced the way he views art of all mediums as well as in the way he designs his jewelry. If we were to choose a favorite artist, it would have to be a tie between his grandmother and aunt, Pat DeWitt and Wendy DeWitt. Their talent truly is amazing!”

“For years, we have always admired the various wire wrap artists that we have seen. We enjoy the chance to talk, share our common passion and truly appreciate all the effort and talent that goes into their work.

feeling. It’s definitely surreal! We also dream that one day, people will see our jewelry and recognize it, knowing that it came from us.”

“Ultimately, we’d love to continue finding success and growth in our store! We took my husband’s artistic hobby and his passion for minerals and were able to turn it into a business. It truly has been a remarkable journey and we are only at the beginning! We look forward to expanding and reaching new levels of success, whatever they may be!”