Sasha Samuels – Artist + Designer Goldsmith

Welcome

Artist and designer Sasha Samuels creates in extremely diverse cultures; Silicon Valley and Italy (her Tuscan studio was for a time an abandoned 14^thcentury Romanesque church). Samuels relocated part-time to the Bay Area expressly to cross pollinate with pioneering scientists in the fields of psychology and trauma recovery, as well as art scholars. Receiving her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design, she spent her senior year abroad as a member of its European Honors Program in Rome, Italy. This lead to a lifelong multi-disciplinary exploration, some with Italian masters, in painting, Florentine stone mosaic, goldsmithing, ceramics, sculpture, blacksmithing and enamel as well as numerous exhibitions, publications and awards, including an international award/feature at a museum in Salerno, Italy.

503-544-7979 • Sasha@SashaSamuels.com
7805 SW 40th Ave, #19843 • Portland, OR 97219
PO Box 1362 • Menlo Park, CA 94026

Curriculum Vitae • Biography • LinkedIn Profile

Jewelry

Sunburst Earrings with Detachable Drops in 18k lemon gold, Mediterranean coral branches, and golden champagne diamonds.

Circeo
Circe, a misunderstood and powerful woman, warms herself by the fire as a storm approaches, strumming her lyre. A brooch/pendant, this hand carved shell cameo, hand painted in oils, is set into a frame of 22k granulated gold, accented with natural yellow diamonds. The many layers of transparent oil paint took time to dry between applications, requiring six months to complete the finished work. Private collection.

Alchemy
Crafted in the traditional colors of alchemy (white, black, red and gold) this stunning ring features an exotic-cut rutilated quartz at its center, held in place with 24k gold V-caps. Rubies adorn one shoulder of the ring, while the other is paved in black diamonds. Under the quartz is a suite of white diamonds that shimmer up through the quartz. The ring's shank is cast in 18k champagne gold. Price on request.

Frida y Muerte Cameo
Private collection.

Mosaic
Paraiba Tourmalines + geranium sapphires in 18k lemon gold, .50 carats total rare Paraibas and .85 carats total natural and .12 carats beryllium-treated sapphire melee. Private collection.

Wisdom
This ring features a hand carved cameo eye in hard stone (pietre dure). Representing the iconic eye of wisdom in a glowing halo of enlightenment. While the ring's shank is cast in 18k champagne gold, the halo is cast in 18k lemon gold, accented with white diamonds at the top, and yellow diamonds set into the bottom half. Private collection.

Tourmaline Sunburst Earrings
These stunning one-off chandelier earrings are pure modern romance. Delicately-hued rose-cut watermelon tourmaline slices weighing 14.81 carats total shimmer in 22k granulated, hand fabricated gold bezels. Exotic, natural fair trade Malawi rubies (.62 carats total), natural fancy yellow diamonds (.10 carats total), G/VS white Russian diamonds (.22 carats total) and vivid pink sapphires (.07 carats total) grace the 18k lemon gold elements of these exquisitely feminine, extraordinary earrings. Price on request.

Delfina
Stunning opal mosaic dolphin in high carat gold, on a strand of tumble-polished sapphire beads with 22k + gemstone spacer beads. Dolphin is a pin/pendant, and the sapphire necklace may be worn separately as a choker. Price on request.

Alcyone Aquamarine Necklace
Inspired by the goddess of the sea, this bespoke necklace is a natural beauty. The aquamarine beads weigh a stunning 315.11 carats total and are each hand-faceted, retaining their organic geometry. A hand-fashioned 18k lemon gold trident point graces the center of the design, accented with .15 carats total D/VVs diamonds in 18k white gold, with 22k accents. The adjustable 18k lemon gold clasp with bespoke, constructed links also delights with a surprise .01 carat diamond accent. The result is breathtakingly contemporary and timeless. Private collection.

Convergence
Rutilated quartz in 18k champagne and apricot golds, champagne diamonds, gemstones. Private collection.

Geometria
Fancy cut tourmaline in 18k bright white gold with silver sapphires and champagne diamond accents. Private collection.

Bespoke Stacking Rings
Custom created for a client's ruby and diamond, in 18k bright white, champagne and yellow golds, custom heart-shaped prongs, engraved details, natural olive colored diamond and accent gemstones. Private commission.

Trapiche Emerald Earrings
In a class by themselves, these exquisite 18k drop earrings present an extremely rare matched pair of trapiche emeralds. These gems weigh 10.05 carats total, their six-petal pattern formed naturally when the crystal grew. How exactly this occurs is still a mystery. Their subtle chatoyancy radiates from the center like green silk ribbons when turned in the light. Framing these rare beauties are 2.15 carats total weight of EFG/VVS white diamonds. The backs as bespoke as the fronts, the center gems are set from behind with tiny screws in hand crafted 18k gold petals. Utterly unique, just wow! Price on request

Cathedral Rings
These Cathedral Rings hold a cinnamon/root beer and a champagne tourmaline respectively, set in 14k rose + 18k champagne gold. Under the 8.73 carat center stone at top twinkles a champagne diamond engraved with a star pattern. Another diamond set into the base of each shank delights. While both rings are sold, they demonstrate the numerous color harmonies available in this style of ring. Both in private collections.

Tourmaline and lavender sapphire ring
Pink tourmaline, sapphires and canary diamonds in 18k lemon gold. Private collection.

Tanzanite Crown Ring
This 1.44 carats tanzanite is set in a stunning crown of 22k granulated gold that rests on a wide 18k lemon gold band. Radiating outward are alternating waves of bead-set Paraiba tourmalines (.29 carats total) and natural yellow diamonds (.13 carats total). This bespoke ring fit for a queen is sold - please inquire to order a similar ring.

Faceted Two-Pearl Ring
Faceted South Sea pearls set in 18k bright white gold, with teal-colored diamond accent.

Wide Wing band
18k lemon gold sprinkled with multi-colored, bezel set diamonds.

Yellow Diamond Slice earrings
Private collection.

Yellow Diamond Solitaire
In 18k lemon gold, private collection.

Stacking Ring Suite
This suite of stacking rings was fashioned in five distinct colors of gold: 18k lemon, champagne, standard yellow, 14k rose and 22k. Its gemstones include tourmaline, diamond, garnet and sapphire, designed to harmonize in shape, scale, and hue. A lucky lady chose this suite to grace her finger - an act of self-love and celebration.

Kunzite Crown Ring
Exquisite! This scintillating pink-lavender Kunzite pairs beautifully with its wide, sensual, satiny lemon gold band. Framed in a delicate bezel of 22k granulated gold, this unusual gem weighs 4.65 carats. Feminine elegance at its finest, now in a private collection.

Khaki Keshi Pearl Ring
This extraordinary, natural colored South Sea Keshi pearl shifts from a taupe/gray hue to a warm golden hue in sunlight. Framed in a bespoke 22k hand-granulated bezel, the pearl's dome shape is echoed in the texture of its lemon gold Byzantine shank. The sophisticated mix of colored golds combined with the pearl's shifting hues presents monochrome tonal harmony. Exquisitely elegant and unique!

Canary Diamond Slice Chandeliers
These natural yellow diamond slices are framed in yellow sapphires and 18k lemon gold. Price on request.

Pink Sapphire in Champagne Gold
Private collection.

Twilight
A starry night wrapped around your finger, this is a one-off . Believed to be Kashmiri due to its extraordinary color intensity, the voluptuous pear-shaped central gem weighs 2.24 carats and seems to glow from within. Set in 18k bright white gold with black rhodium accents, it is complimented by a sky’s worth of vivid blues and lighter hued sapphires weighing 1.21 carats total. An accent diamond weighing .01 carats surprises the wearer when the ring is viewed from the side. While this extraordinary ring has found its forever home, I may be able to create a similar one for you. Please inquire for details.

Sage Covered Mesa Ring
Inspired by the colors of the desert Southwest, this unique version of the Cathedral Ring is set with a gorgeous, multicolored 6.13 carat tourmaline. Set in a combination of both 14k peach + 14k green golds, the alloys correspond with the gem's shifting hues of green and cinnamon. At the shank's base are flush-set colored diamonds weighing .02 carats to match the ring's color variations.

An exceptionally rare color for a natural diamond, this exquisite vivid pink/lavender pear shaped beauty is for the woman who craves a gemstone as unique as she. Every aspect of this bespoke platinum ring is carefully considered, from its robust multi-prong setting to its counterweighted shank for stability. The unique design was made specifically for this .26 carat vivid pink diamond (with its GIA pedigree) and is accented with .60 carats DEF, VS white diamonds. Turn the ring over to discover delicate gallery work as well as surprise diamond accents. The rare center gemstone hails from the Argyle mine in Australian, which closed at the end of 2020, the primary source in the world for this vividly saturated hue. Price on request.

Nigredo Alchemical necklace
In Jungian Alchemy, the Nigredo process brings forth that which is latent in the subconscious, a place fertile with imagination and possibilities. The vivid red Mediterranean Coral branches capped in 18k lemon gold symbolize roots, and are suspended from a necklace of black diamond beads weighing a total of 30.70 carats. Each bespoke cap is accented with DEF/VVS white diamonds weighing a total of .07 carats. The necklace has a hand-made locking clasp, also fashioned in 18k lemon gold. Price on request.

Diamond Slice Pendant + Strand
Private collection, inquire about similar pieces.

Indicolite/Black Bi-color Tourmaline Ring
Set in 18k bright white gold rests a 4.85 carat Indicolite/black tourmaline. On either side of the mount are a matched pair of alexandrites weighing .13 carats total. Patterned down the sides of the shank are bead-set natural gray sapphire melee weighing .18 carats total. DEF/VVS diamond melee weighing .02 carats await your discovery. While this ring is sold, a similar gem is available to create a similar ring.

Fine art

La Strada Giu – plein air oil on canvas at my house-church studio in Eastern Tuscany.

Wallace, watercolor on paper
Wallace, watercolor on paper

Odwa, watercolor on paper
Odwa, watercolor on paper

Paolo (Tuscan Youth)
Oil on canvas, live portrait

Seascape - Sunset
Oil on canvas, plein air

Nigredo (Decomposition)
In Alchemy, the Nigredo phase is often considered the key to transmutation. In this mixed media wall sculpture, the earth, decomposition, feed the roots of new life, new possibilities. 18k gold flower elements can be removed and worn as a pair of earrings; the necklace removed from its shadowbox and worn as a talisman, the physical act of embodying the message inherent in the artwork. 2022 - Wood, oil, 18k gold, black diamonds, Mediterranean branch coral

Seascape 1 - study in gray
Oil on canvas, plein air

Rubedo (Redress)
In Alchemy, the Rubedo phase is often represented by fire, and the phoenix that rises from its ashes. The torching of old patterns and beliefs clears space for the new, represented by the lamp-worked glass horse in the shadowbox of this wall sculpture. 2022 - Wood, oil, lamp-worked glass

Citrinitas (Sublimation)
In Alchemy, the Citrinitas phase is the final stage of sublimation, represented here by vapor and air. It marks the stage of maturity, where form changes but not essence. The glass alchemical vessel may be removed from the wall sculpture's shadowbox in an act of kinesthetic contemplation. 2022 - Wood, oil, hand blown Murano glass

Neskowin Sunset
Oil on canvas, plein air

Repatriare
Italian for "repatriate", this describes a continual "returning home" for those engaged in healing and personal growth, continually refining and retuning to the essence of who we are at our core. Its ring, Wisdom, may be removed from the wall sculpture and worn as talisman and reminder. 2022 Wood, oil, 18k gold, white + yellow diamonds, hard-stone cameo carved by the artist

Albedo (Purification)
In Alchemy, the Albedo phase offers purification, distillation, and is often represented by water. In this mixed media wall sculpture, water cleanses a pair of mosaic wings representing light and shadow. Two rings may be removed from the sculpture's shadowboxes and worn a talismans, focusing the wearer's attention on purification and new beginnings. 2022 - Wood, oil, 18 + 24k gold, carved rutilated quartz, diamonds (black and white), sapphires, Paraiba tourmalines

Vessel - Threshold
Glazed stoneware, slab-constructed

Omaggio a mia Mamma
Oil on canvas, plein air, painted two weeks after the death of the artist's mother.

Horsehead
Alabaster bas-relief sculpture begun by the artist's father, completed by the artist after his death.

Shadow
Shell cameo, hand-carved by the artist

Healing by the Sword
Shell cameo, hand-carved by the artist.inspired by the phrase "Healing by the sword that initiated the wound".

Untitled
Shell cameo, hand-carved by the artist

Vessel
Shell cameo, hand-carved by the artist

Don Vasco 1
Oil on canvas, live portrait

Tramonto alla Primavera
Watercolor, plein air

Aureola (Halo)
Shell cameo, hand-carved by the artist

Io e Babbo
Artist and her father painting from the veranda of her Tuscan house-church.

Paint-by-Numbers
Oil on canvas from live model

Press

The artist painting at the altar of her church-studio.

Award received at the Museo Archeologico, exhibition the Contemporary Etruscan Jewel, Salerno, Italy

Fire Study 1
Currently in juried exhibition "Unconnected, Yet" presented by Bengal Boston Bridge at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kolkata, India, 2023.

Couture International Magazine
American Jewelry Design Council New Talent Winner announcement

A's Alchemy - poem by the artist
A poem written by the artist, inspired by the life of fellow survivor Artemisia Gentileschi, and published by the Florentine Press, 2022.

Best of Show, 2018 Menlo Summerfest
The winning entry is a lovely fire opal set in a 14k apricot gold ring with granulated 22k gold bezel, accented with fancy yellow sapphires.

Best of Show, 2017 Menlo Summerfest
The winning entry is a lovely Citrine ring in apricot gold, accented with fancy-colored diamonds, sapphires and garnets.

Lapidary Journal Award National Award
Winner in the Ring Category, Four Finger Feather Suite, in 18k lemon and white golds.

Niche magazine
Leda - adjustable lariat necklace in 18k lemon gold, alexandrites, diamonds, rock crystal.

JQ Magazine
Freedom Bracelet - in platinum, 18k lemon gold, white and canary diamonds, hidden locking clasp, from the nationally award winning Freedom Collection.

Lapidary Journal cover
Scribble Ring - 18k yellow + champagne gold, raw diamond crystal, champagne diamonds.

Modern Jeweler - Pearl Feature
Faceted Two-Pearl Ring in 18k bright white gold, faceted Tahitian pearls, from the nationally award winning Freedom Collection.

Jeweler's Circular Keystone - Diamond Savvy
Custom engagement ring with fancy cut champagne diamond in 18k rose and white golds, from the nationally award winning Freedom Collection.

Niche Magazine - Art Jewelry Forecast
Four Feather Ring Suite, Faceted Two-Pearl Ring, in 18k gold and faceted Tahitian pearls, from the nationally award winning Freedom Collection.

InStore Magazine - Pearl Feature
Two-Pearl Ring and faceted Pearl Ring in 18ky gold, from the nationally award winning Freedom Collection.

Lapidary Journal
American Jewelry Design Council New Talent Contest Award - Santo Giorgio brooch in coral, 18k lemon gold, South Sea keshi pearl, ancient Roman coin.

Bridal Guide
Four Feather Ring Suite, from the nationally award winning Freedom Collection.

500 Earrings by Lark Press
Back Cover - Black and Whites - earrings in 22k granulation, pearls, chrome pyrope garnets, 18k findings.

With late composer/musician Gianmaria Testa, Arezzo, Italy

The artist with Alvy Ray Smith.
The artist with Alvy Ray Smith, co-founder of Pixar, at the Computer History Museum, Silicon Valley, CA.

With graphic novelist/designer Mario Stilla, Salerno, Italy

Film & TV Actor Enzo Decaro with the artist at the Contemporary Etruscan Jewel afterparty

Los Altos Rotary 2024
Featured Artist Award, 2024

Celebrating our Front Line Heroes

18k gold Peace Cross, set with yellow sapphire eye of protection. Coin pearl pendants in 14k gold with gemstones.

“In spring of 2020 when the pandemic hit, I was moved to do something special to honor our front line workers, asking my clients to nominate an individual who had gone above and beyond serving in their community. To celebrate that hero, I created a Peace Cross necklace in 18k gold with a yellow sapphire symbolizing a watchful eye of protection to gift to the winning nominee. The response was so overwhelming I created an additional four pendants with coin pearls and gemstones for the runners-up”.

– Sasha Samuels

Be inspired by their powerful stories here.