The Story : Laurel Allison Mills

Art has fed my soul since before I can remember. From the time I could pick up a crayon or hurl a ball of clay, I've found it exceptionally satisfying & necessary to MAKE. 

My foray into higher education saw me following in the footsteps of two family friends whom I greatly admire. Both strong independent self-employed female potters. I went to school at Northern Michigan University with a concentration in ceramics for three years, taking a variety of classes, both theory based & hands on.

Listening to my fellow students talk so highly of the metals program at NMU & more specifically how inspiring its instructor Dale Wedig was, I became intrigued enough to introduce myself & beg to be let into the class last minute. I then proceeded to fall in love with the fascinating world of metal work. With Dale's guidance my interest along with skill set grew.

Deciding what direction to go within the world of metal smithing was yet another milestone. Over the four years as a metals major I had the pleasure of experiencing many branches within the medium. This included but was not limited to blacksmithing with a traditional forge, welding classes, bronze & aluminum casting, multiple levels of jewelry making/small scale fabrication. I loved it all, however with graduation fast approaching, I needed to realize my path. I made the decision based partly on portability to focus on jewelry making as a career. 

Post graduation I was given the opportunity to work for a local jewelry artist on her growing business. More than just a job this was further education into a side of artistry which was sadly not covered well during my time at university. Business!! Having the skill set to not only make a product but also market & sell that product is essential. My time there not only honed the muscle memory techniques for production work but also acquainted me with proper methods for promotion & advertising, photographing work, ordering materials & the ever mind numbing hustle of pricing & inventory!  These skill sets all take time & patience to develop. With each year that goes by, I can see the progress, small & large that has been made.

Working as a bench jeweler/shop assistant for another artist challenged & prepared me to uproot my little home studio, move to Northern California & start L.A.M. Jewelry. 

Ups, downs & all the in between circumstances have brought me to where I am today, in Michigan, slowly making my way back to my Upper Peninsula home.

I am a self employed metalsmith working from my home studio for almost 12 years. My work is primarily made using sterling silver, copper, gold & brass. I incorporate a wide range of rocks & minerals, set in semi precious metals using traditional hand forging methods & techniques. 

Another integral aspect, ever evolving within my studio & work is environmental impact associated with my metal smithing practices. I will be the first to say it is not a very clean industry to go into. However, along with conscientious retailers, dedicated to providing recycled metal stock options, a slew of smart choices in products used in my studio & practical methods I feel the goal of being an eco conscious business is being met. With that said there is always room for improvement. 

Jewelry should not only be beautiful & eye catching, it also must be durable & comfortable. It is important for me to know that in purchasing a piece of my work the buyer will be able to fully LIVE while wearing it! Earrings, necklace, bracelet, ring, pin ; all should move with you through life not be cumbersome or a burden. Jewelry comes to life on the wearer if it is made with attention to these details.