Jolynn Santiago at Vermont Handworks in Charlotte in front of a shelf full of enamel, an electric kiln for enameling and casting, and a microscope near Vermont Handworks student benches on her left, and metalsmithing tools on the wall to her right.

welcome to my studio.


hi, i’m Jolynn.

Handwork and the human experience.

I understand that creating something from nothing and experiencing materials with my hands is an integral part of the human experience. I create with my hands to feel grounded and attain a deeper understanding of myself.

You know this truth—working with your hands grounds you in your personal humanity.

The Beginning.


Memories of wandering and becoming.

As a child, I wandered through unfinished structures my father built—rooms in the midst of becoming. Among dust, scattered tools, and bare wooden frames, I learned to notice what is often overlooked and to linger in the space between the made and the unmade.

My practice continues to follow these transitions, guided by what settles, drifts, and accumulates over time.

Jolynn Santiago is in her studio working at her jewelry bench during her performance, twenty- four hours of silence, while completing her 2019-2020 artist residency at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

About Me.


Steeped in craft.

Rooted in material exploration.

Guided by curiosity.

For the past decade, my studio and teaching practice has been guided by a deep curiosity about materials and the ways they transform through use.

Holding a BFA from Kent State University and an MFA from SUNY New Paltz, I teach nationally and from my studio in Charlotte, Vermont, where my work evolves through continued dialogue with tools, materials, and students.

my process.

Rooted in observation, renewal, and time.


I’ve developed a labor-intensive fusing process inspired by dust. I cut and file material by hand and carve graphite to create highly textured jewelry composed of thousands of fused silver and gold particles.

This work carries the patience and presence of its making—a gentle reminder of your ability to notice, renew, and move through life with intention.

the work.

accumulated moments,

Subtle shifts,

ritual.


Jolynn Santiago's 18k gold "ring of pollen" ring band and a sterling silver and 18k gold mixed-metal "ring of pollen."
Jolynn Santiago's sterling silver "gray ring of pollen" in front of the sea of zinnias they were inspired by.

What emerges are singular pieces alongside bounded series that blur the line between art and jewelry. The work traces memories of how dust and debris gather — how they rest on surfaces, drift into corners, and slowly reshape what they touch.

These forms become compilations that echo the textures and presence of debris.

Jolynn Santiago in her garden wearing her "at arm's length" necklace that is made from thousands of hand-tied silk knots that were beaded together.

for the collector.


the patient seeker

Rooted in observation and material study, this work reflects the marks of time—dust that gathers, shifts, and settles in the places we inhabit. This body of work is but one factor in a larger, more holistic practice of observing, making, and unmaking.

Each form meets you where your own curiosity lives, inviting you to collect not just an object but a moment of material transformation.

Jolynn Santiago's sterling silver field clippings ring displayed on the ring's inspiration, dried grass.
Jolynn Santiago's sterling silver field clippings ring displayed on the ring's inspiration, dried grass.
Jolynn Santiago's 18k gold "ring of pollen" ring band photographed in front of a plum tree.
The front and back of one of Jolynn Santiago's brooches from her findings series inspired by long walks and her curiosity of layers discovered when coring the earth.

for the admirer.


the gentle observer

Jolynn Santiago wearing one of the brooches from her findings series inspired by long walks and her curiosity of layers discovered when coring the earth.

Jewelry crafted with thoughtful simplicity and subtle textures, informed by the same sensibilities as my art practice. When the work catches light and moves with the body, its intricate layers are revealed.

On your body, the work becomes something new, shaped as much by your movement as by my hand.

for the space.


a quiet companion

Work on paper shaped by the tools and materials that guide my jewelry practice. Each mark captures a moment of making—unfolding each time you return to it. These works offer glimpses into the studio, revealing the subtle beauty embedded in process.

For those drawn to the language of marks, these studies offer an intimate record of the making.

A framed minimalist artwork with a white background and sparse, abstract line drawing on paper, hanging on a beige wall.

stay close


to the studio.

Join my list for glimpses into new singular works, early looks at pieces in process, upcoming classes, and the rhythms of my studio life.

Close-up of a pair of modern, minimalist eyeglasses on a white background.
Two copper-colored, shark fin-shaped objects placed on a white background.
A minimalist composition of a beige wooden chess bishop piece lying on a white surface, with other beige wooden chess pieces blurred in the background against a plain white backdrop.
Close-up of ceramic and metal electronic components on a white background.

placeholder earrings.


folded perspectives.

These earrings begin as folded paper studies, where simple folds create dimension and offer space for the body.

Each pair carries its own surface language—layered enamel, embedded materials, and curious textures.

Much like the way a page holds your place, the surfaces embody what I've seen, what I discover, and what I'm reaching toward.

The folds rest softly against your ears, and different perspectives reveal themselves as you move.

Contact Us

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