Blue Quartz and Silver. Rock Star Jewelry Fall/Winter Collection 2010.

While the Subterfuge Set is busy about town being rock stars, there’s a small clique of designers and artist’s invoking the muse and dreaming up new and amazing creations for them. It’s a cyclical relationship in the art community and the Subterfuge Set knows better than anyone else that artists, within all their wondrous memes, are the ones that truly shape society. Seattle-based jewelry designer Martha Driver is not only a rock star herself; she makes the rocks for the stars. As any artist worth their salt, Driver has cut her teeth in many media and has found her creative niche as a jewelry designer.

Due to the designer's attention to detail and astute grasp of color themes and a knack for putting a modern twist on classical stone conventions, Rock Star Jewelry is assuring its place in the sun. Originally hailing from Los Angles, Martha grew up experimenting with many art forms, everything from music to watercolor, but her interest in jewelry cemented after a trip to Venice in the year 2000. She began buying stones before, as she put it, she knew what to do with them. Inspired by the locale she began sketching and returned home determined. To get a better understanding of this new media she ventured into Pratt Fine Arts Center and took a series of classes - sometimes twice. - including Metal Working to perfect this craft. As the designer herself stated, "It's all about researching and understanding."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big Ass Mama Baroque Pearls

Rock Star Jewelry encompasses styles in which the designer has worked with various semi-precious stones and metal, faceted being her favorite cut with its decidedly decadent appearance. Martha prefers the highest quality stones, which she purchases mostly from trusted vendors in her hometown of Los Angeles. Martha’s work runs the gamut of semi-precious with everything from varied shades of stunning Chalcedony, Quartz, Agate, and Garnets; of course, our personal favorite is her unique selection of Pearls. Rock Star Jewelry breaks the mold when it comes to Pearls and wires them exquisitely instead of the more traditional knotting; an application, which gives her pieces a modern sexy quality, that is timeless and never dowdy or trendy. Martha’s main inspiration comes from the flora of the Northwest and it is not uncommon to see her snapping photographs of plants she sees to replicate their beauty and color in her pieces. Her work is a chimerical chameleon with its one of kind style and it’s ability to be worn in a series of ways giving one a variance of unique styling options whether its a belt, earrings, a necklace or chokers; earning her a loyal following of bellwethers such as Subterfuge Editor-in-chief Sarah Elizabeth Caples and Michelle Quisenberry.

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wisteria Collection

Not only is Martha Driver’s work adorning Subterfuge rock stars, it’s also had it’s fare share of glory at Mercedes Fashion Week and at Fashion First in 2009 around the neck of Mona Locke (wife of former Governor Gary Locke and former King 5 Reporter); she wore the Finale piece appropriately named Wisteria for the selection of stones similarity to the blossom of this poisonous beauty. Rock Star Jewelry is currently enjoying sales at 3 Seattle locations; including her studio, a high-end boutique Around The Block in Magnolia, and with David Lawrence at The Bravern – It was previously carried very successfully by Jeri Rice for 4 years as well before the recent closing of their Seattle Location. For those of you who travel you can also enjoy shopping for Martha’s Pieces at Silver Creek Outfitters in Sun Valley, Surroundings in Portland and also at Shop Central in New Jersey.

Currently, Martha is in the working on her Fall/Winter 2010 Collection that she says, "Is all about layering and being bold.” We have a little taste (see title image) of what she has in store for customers this upcoming season. You can see for yourself that with Rock Star Jewelry, every rock is a star.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amber and Smoky Quartz

Please visit RockStarJewelry.com for more information on current designs by Martha Driver and retail locations.