Fun fact: I’ve only had my ears pierced for the last six years. And no, I am not twelve years old.
I am not jewelry averse. In fact, I’m a bit of a collector.
I worked for a jewelry designer for five years, and I’ve made and sold my own jewelry, too.
I was just never compelled to punch holes in my ears. (I know, I know…what girl doesn’t have pierced ears?)
I finally gathered the courage to take the plunge a few years ago, at Barbella off 18th Street. They made me totally comfortable, and didn’t make fun of this grown-up woman with virgin earlobes.
So you can’t blame me if I’ve garnered a new(ish) obsession: gorgeous earrings.
I’ve refined my taste over time, and while I love some big, bold designs, I can also appreciate a simple hoop.
Recently, I discovered Laurane Elisabeth earrings, and I’m obsessed all over again! Clean, simple lines, high-quality, and made-by-hand right here in Costa Mesa. I think I’m in love!
Earring Obsessed with the Jewelry Art of Laurane Elisabeth Designs, Costa Mesa.
Photos courtesy of lauraneelisabeth.com
I first met Laurane Williams at the Westside Market, where she is a regular. I was drawn to her booth by the sparkly goodness of her signature heart-shaped wire earrings, but the more I looked, the more I loved. Turns out she’s good friends with another one of my favorite Costa Mesa makers, Andrea of Luna Reece ceramics.
I bought a pair of hearts for a friend, and a pair of square small hoops in rose gold for myself. Cut to eight weeks later, and I can’t stop wearing these earrings. My friend loves her hearts too!
I had to find out more about Laurane, so we met up in her home studio on the Eastside and talked shop while her two pups, Frankie and Riley, moderated our discussion.
Photos: Samantha Chagollan
Laurane first started making jewelry in 1999, when she got curious about the fancy, beaded jewelry she spied in her regular nail salon. She loved it – but couldn’t afford it – so she decided to figure out how to make it herself.
She learned how to make her first piece – a natural, stone necklace, with a teardrop pendant – at Beads, Beads, Beads, the now-closed, hobbyist mecca on Harbor Boulevard.
From there, she taught herself more and more techniques, guided by magazine articles and an emerging passion to keep creating.
“Soon after I started making jewelry, I showed people at work, and they wanted to buy them,” says Laurane. What started as a part-time hobby soon evolved into a full-fledged business.
She loved selling her creations to help fund Christmas shopping, but mostly, she just loved seeing the joy on her customers’ faces when they tried on a new favorite pair, or came back to shop for friends.
This idea of creating her affordable, high-quality jewelry has only grown; now Laurane Elisabeth jewelry has a thriving online shop, an Etsy shop, and was recently included in subscription boxes for Cratejoy to be shipped all over the country.
What makes her jewelry different?
“Everything I create is truly handmade,” she says, and the evidence is right there on her work table. Rolls of wire in different finishes and gauges, pliers and cutters, and tiny sparkling beads are scattered all over the work space.
She works in gold-filled, sterling silver, and a sensitive-free wire that’s a gorgeous hue of rose gold. Her best sellers are her hearts, hoops, and the large teardrop earrings that her customers love.
“Just in the past couple of years, I started paying more attention to my website and getting to more boutiques and shows,” she says. “I’ve been doing the Westside Museum show since they opened.”
Laurane thrives on creating minimalist, everyday designs that are easy to wear and share.
“Every once in a while, I like to get really creative and make something fun too,” she adds.
When she’s not making jewelry, Laurane is a part-time caregiver to a private, elderly client.
She and her husband Robert, and their three kids, like to stick pretty close to home, which is why she hearts Costa Mesa, too.
“You can do everything here!” she says with a huge grin, and tells me she’s totally into our #costamesa365 challenge that the Mesa Maven is undertaking.
“I could easily do that!” she laughs, and that sounds like a challenge to me!
Back to my love for all things hoopy — maybe we should start a #hoops365 challenge?
Only if they’re made right here, in Costa Mesa. Who’s with me? ♥
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Find Laurane Elisabeth jewelry on her website or on Etsy; follow her on Instagram or Facebook, or come find her at the next Westside Market.
