Artist Feature: Hannah Blount

For the past year we have been carrying the beautiful jewelry of designer Hannah Blount. She has a very organic and refined style to her jewelry that really lets you appreciate the uniqueness of each piece. We carry her pieces in both our Cherry Creek North shop as well as in Denver's Union Station. See below for a Q&A we had with her in preparation of her upcoming trunk show as well as some photographs of pieces of hers that we carry here in our shop. 

 

Bloom: You’ve mentioned before that you grew up on an island. Do you think that’s had an influence on your work?

Hannah: Most certainly. The aesthetic of the island most of all, but the concept of being on an island is incredibly isolating. I lived in a bubble of beauty for 18 years of my life: that stays with you.

B: What made you realize that creating beautiful jewelry is what you wanted to do for a living?

H: I have been making jewelry since I was 6 years old, but it was when I was about 11 that I realized it could be a permanent part of my life. I was babysitting for a family (that I am still close with), and she would let me play dress-up with her jewelry. I remember the exact moment it hit me: I was trying on a pair of artisan glass earrings she purchased in Italy.

B: What’s the hardest part of jewelry designing?

H: Charging money for it.

B: What’s the best part of jewelry designing?

H: It is so heartwarming when someone feels beautiful wearing my jewelry. That it can give someone confidence through personal expression is an incredibly inspiring thing.

 

B: What inspires you?

H: The most inspiring part of making jewelry is turning something raw and gritty into something clean and beautiful. I love the act of “finishing” a product by hand.

B: What is your favorite piece you’ve ever created?

H: I recently took a casting of the slipper shell and pierced it with weathered holes. It was exciting to see how an old design can take on a whole new look.

B: What are your favorite stones?

H: Turquoise! Most specifically, Kingman Turquoise from the Kingman Mine in AZ.

B: Where do your stones originate from?

H: They come from all over. I work directly with a few mines, but also with dealers who travel around the world sourcing stones and cutting them or having them cut.

B: What is your favorite flower?

H: Passion Flower. I was obsessed with my high school botany teacher’s passion flower plant, so he’d call me in after school every time one would bloom. Coming through the loudspeaker it sounded like I had detention!

B: Where is your favorite vacation spot?

H: Home. Obviously traveling is a wonderful thing, and going back to Nantucket to see family is great. But there is nothing quite like cutting the day short by going home with groceries and cooking a nice meal, settling down with a good book or movie.

B: What are the top 5 things you can not live without?

H: Sadly… my iPhone tops at #1. Then there is: indoor plumbing, donuts, chapstick, and the Blount Family Cookbook.

B: What do you do when you are not making jewelry?

H: Think about making jewelry.

B: What is the one thing that still takes your breath away?

H: There is a moment when the sun is setting, and even though it is darker everything seems brighter. It is right before dusk. That brilliant moment always takes my breath away.