Barbara Heinrich hopes her jewelry will not only be cherished by her customers, but that it might become a family heirloom, passed from one generation to the next. Because of this, it is no wonder that quality and durability are priorities for her. Solid, clean fabrication methods are matched with strong design. In each piece, she strives for a delicate balance of color, form, and proportion.
Barbara’s first designs were childhood creations of strung apple seeds and noodles. Later, she learned how to fabricate glass beads and developed a line of jewelry with beads and silver wire. From there, she moved on to a body of work with feathers, wood, and fur. During an apprenticeship in Germany, she learned soldering and stone setting. She established her own business in 1986.
The studio artist trained in fine arts uses line drawings and color renderings to translate ideas and concepts. A classically-trained goldsmith, Barbara employs an array of ancient and modern techniques, resulting in rich textures and surface contrasts. She finds that her dual role as designer and maker enables fluid interpretation from idea to finished piece.
Barbara is the proud recipient of many national and international awards, including the 2009 Couture Design Award: Best of Gold, the 2011 MJSA Vision Award: 1st Place in Gold Distinction, and the 2011-12 Fashion Award from the International Pearl Design Competition. Her work has been featured in an array of publications, most recently the book Women Jewellery Designers by Juliet de la Rochefoucauld published in 2017.
Since so many of her pieces are inspired by nature and botanicals, it is a special treat for Barbara to participate at ACE, hosted by the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Revel in more of Barbara’s work on her website or join her in person at the American Craft Exposition (ACE) September 20-22, 2019 at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Tickets to ACE 2019 are available here now.