Sarah Graham admires the fluid, fabric-like designs of Amali.

[dropcap cap=D]ESIGNER SARA FREEDENFELD of Amali discovered her passion for jewelry making while backpacking through South America. From a Chilean artisan, she learned the basics of macramé, and in Venezuela, she was taught to bend and mold metal. Freedenfeld admits there was a lot of trial and error before she was ready to launch her collection in 2006. Today, her pieces (inspired by the natural landscapes and vibrant colors of her travels) evoke the fluid and tactile feeling of fabrics. Her chain-wrapped stones and hand-woven chain cross the boundaries of high fashion and fine jewelry. She named the collection after her grandmother, who “embodies the grace, sophistication and strength that I wanted to reflect in my designs,” she says. — STORY BY BETH BERNSTEIN [/dropcap]

“I first met Sara at a trade show around two years ago in Philly. She came over to my booth and was looking at a ring to buy for her sister, who helps her with all of the shows. She was smart, straightforward and funny, and I liked her almost immediately.”

“After seeing her collection, I fell in love with her jewelry. I’ve seen many other designers work with woven chain before, but Sara stands out because of her originality of design and meticulous attention to every detail.”

“When she weaves chain around a beautiful gem, to me, it looks like an incredible couture dress. The stone seems to be the model and the chain is draped perfectly around ‘her’ like the fabric of a fluid, flowing gown.”

“Sara is a true artist in that she captures the graceful nature of the form she is working with. When she is designing her macramé style pieces, they look like material spun out of gold. There is a quality that is sensual and elegant at the same time.”

“She is also savvy about business, understands the demographic of women who are going to purchase her pieces, and realizes the need for both ‘press’ pieces and those for the real woman. This gives her a strong ability to build on her success and keep evolving. I also think she has a crossover audience, from the fine jewelry store to the high-end, ready-to-wear boutiques that carry fashionable jewelry collections.”

“Since meeting her, we’ve come full circle. This year, I want to purchase her jewelry as Christmas gifts for my sisters and closest friends. I usually buy my presents at the shows where I exhibit, as I enjoy exposing the women in my life to cool jewelry. Sara’s jewelry definitely falls into that category!”

[componentheading]Designs from Sara Freedenfeld [/componentheading]

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[componentheading]SARAH GRAHAM[/componentheading]

is a pioneer in the use of blackened metal in fine jewelry; her combination of oxidized cobalt chrome with 18K gold and diamonds was born after falling in love with a vintage necklace of anodized steel at a consignment shop. She originally graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in international business, but soon found herself apprenticing for a master goldsmith. She spent the next five years honing her skills as a bench jeweler for other jewelry shops before launching her business in 2000. Sarah’s jewelry is based primarily on organic life, motifs and textures. Her signature combinations immediately identify her collection and the timelessness of her pieces. Her award winning designs are collected by celebrities and carried in over 140 locations, from artisan galleries to traditional jewelry stores. Her jewelry is produced entirely in house in her San Francisco studio. [/smalltext]

[span class=note]This story is from the June 2010 edition of INDESIGN[/span]