Opal and Sapphire "El Pescado" Broach by Andrew Glassford

American jewelry designer Andrew Glassford regularly travels the world and finds inspiration in a range of places for his colorful earrings, bracelets, necklaces and other accessories.

The Dallas, Texas-based Glassford, who has had a long career in finance, comes from a deeply creative family, with a brother in furniture design based in Guadalajara and another as a fine artist in Mexico City. While his siblings discovered their artistry early in their lives, Glassford took several decades to fully connect with his creative side. Still, his love for jewelry was always present — as a boy, he found himself enamored of the adornments that populated his mother’s jewelry box, and spent time cutting out full-page jewelry advertisements out of the glossy fashion magazines that she read. One of her pieces, a brooch shaped like a fish, finally tipped the scales and not only became the inspiration for the first piece Glassford designed — El Pescado — but it’s an accessory that he interprets frequently across multiple collections.

Living in Texas, Glassford drew on Mexican influences in his early work, which he debuted in 2017. His style broadened after he was able to see more of the world, however. After earning his GIA graduate certifications and attending classes at L’École Van Cleef & Arpels — the jewelry design school opened in 2012 with the backing of French luxury house Van Cleef & Arpels — Glassford took a trip to Asia in 2018. Adding to his creative reserve, Glassford admired the architectural genius behind Beijing’s Forbidden City, the compelling colors and forms that orchids offer when they bloom, and the lively palettes of markets that line the streets of major cities across China and Japan.

Glassford’s one-of-a-kind accessories, which are often set with Akoya pearls, orange sapphires and emeralds, have been featured in magazines such as PaperCity, Modern Luxury and JCK. 

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Andrew Glassford earrings, rings and necklaces.