18K "It's All Carbon to Me" Trilobite and Diamond '3.75 CTW' Brooch / Pendent

Holly Churchill Lane of HCL METAL WORKS sets herself apart from traditional jewelers with her innovative, think outside the box approach to jewelry making. This comes from one of her biggest influences, Neil Armstrong. Holly grew up in Ohio next to his home town. Although he was not a famous jeweler, he did persevere in completing difficult, think outside of the box tasks, which is a key component of jewelry designing and creating. Another major influence is CoCo Chanel, who revolutionized women's clothing during her time by making fashionable, yet comfortable women's clothes. Jewelry should always be comfortable and not overdone. Beloved quote by CoCo Chanel; "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off." Holly thinks about this quote when she is designing a piece of jewelry. There is a simplicity and spareness to her designs. She also incorporates the playfulness of Calder, the moment of Van Gogh and the simplicity and accessibility of Keith Haring. These influences coupled with a trip she took to West Africa with Parsons School of Design to study ancient metal smithing techniques, greatly shaped and cemented how Holly Churchill Lane of HCL METAL WORKS approaches jewelry making. She has also created her own line of innovative Sterling Silver Flatware and is now currently branching out into custom made belt buckles. All of the gold and other metals Holly uses is from a recycled sourced supplier.