About the Artist
Elevate Jewelry is a combination of rustic, modern, and refined mixed-metal jewelry, designed to take your look to the next level.
My name is Cindy and I’m the owner, designer, fabricator, shipper, photographer and the one woman show behind every facet of Elevate Jewelry. Every piece of Elevate Jewelry is hand fabricated in small batches in my Belgrade, Montana studio using sterling silver, brass, and copper as well as semiprecious gemstones.
Whenever you buy a piece of Elevate Jewelry, you are buying something that is made by my two hands from start to finish. It begins as sheet metal or wire, which I then cut, form, hammer, and finish. Because every piece is hand crafted, every piece is unique and one of a kind.
In addition to making all of the jewelry you see, I’m also a full-time loan assistant in the mortgage department of a local bank. Having the opportunity to use my creative skills to make beautiful jewelry is the perfect way to balance out the stress of the lending and mortgage industry.
When I earned my degree in Family and Consumer Science from Montana State University, my desire was to help people. Making jewelry isn’t helping people in the traditional sense, but it allows me to help people in a way that I never could have envisioned. I am a self-taught metalsmith with no formal training. I began making jewelry in 2005 and have been teaching myself ever since, primarily through watching Youtube videos, reading books, and an extensive amount of trial and error.
I’ve found tremendous inspiration in the beauty of the mountains that surround Southwest Montana and the Gallatin Valley. Time spent outdoors allows me to clear my head and live my life with gratitude and appreciation. It helps me to bring out the best in myself and drives me to want to bring out the best in others. My love of hiking and the beauty of the mountains was the initial catalyst for the creation of the Elevate Jewelry brand, but it embodies much more.
My goal is to create jewelry that makes you feel beautiful and confident. I’m always looking to improve, evolve and grow in order to continue making new pieces that you will enjoy for years to come. When you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you do good. My promise to you is to continue to be innovative, to push myself to learn new techniques to consistently bring you something new along with the classic pieces you’ve come to enjoy.
WHY ELEVATE JEWELRY? THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME
When I decided to rename my business in 2017, I picked the name Elevate for a number of reasons. Elevate initially came from my love of hiking, but it came to be much more profound than just that. I knew I wanted a name that had meaning on multiple levels. I wanted to come up with a name that encompassed me and all the things I love and value.
The Elevate Philosophy
The Elevate brand was born from the following premises:
- Hiking and gaining elevation
- Elevate your look and style - when you look better, you feel better
- Elevate yourself by building yourself up
- Elevate others by lifting their spirits
- Strive to improve, grow, and get better
- Elevate yourself above negativity
- Be kind, do good, be generous
"The best view comes after the hardest climb.'' - Anonymous