Today we’d like to introduce you to Miranda Hope.
Hi Miranda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I went to art school in Oakland where I studied sculpture and jewelry. I moved to nyc in 2010 and started my line of jewelry, a blend of techniques from both sculpture and jewelry disciplines centered around large raw crystals and gemstones. I sold jewelry on the weekends in SoHo and eventually got picked up by a number of boutiques across NYC.
In 2015 I moved to Hollywood and continued the line of jewels, evolving and expanding as I picked up new inspirations. I began working in wax casting in 2022 and the work continues to evolve, however it still maintains the focus around raw and minimally processed gemstones set in hand sculptured, one of a kind metalwork. I work using the same technique that metalworkers and jewelers have employed for hundreds of years. So the work has a timeless feel that also references artifacts from the past. My ultimate inspiration is always the stones themselves and the magic of our planet which forms these beautiful specimens. And my jewelry is meant to frame those beautiful elements.
I have a small studio full of drawers of crystals, bottles of special Little Rock’s, my torches, metalworking tools, and my wax working setup.
I work with a handful of boutiques across the country but I mainly sell work online from my site Mirandahope.com and through custom requests from my clients directly. I make lines in brass, silver and gold and often do custom engagement rings, pieces to celebrate the birth of a child or the passing of a loved one.
Im originally from Northern California but call LA home for the past ten years. I live in Burbank with my husband and my 2 and a four year old children.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
After college I wanted to move to nyc and start a line of jewelry. But moving a jewelry studio cross country was daunting, it’s a lot of heavy materials (anvils, hammers, vices, metal sheets, ROCKS) and I was just out of school with very little funds. I decided to move via the train which had a generous policy about luggage, and I showed up to Penn Station three days later with six suitcases full of everything I had brought with me for work and life.
I lived in Green point, then Williamsburg, taking odd jobs and working on the jewelry on my off hours. It was an enormous struggle but I was files by my excitement and love of the work. I’m glad I did this when I was young and had a lot of energy. In the beginning I would sell work from a booth outside in SoHo, rain or snow or humid hot sun.
Moving to LA was much less of a task, but getting established in a new city is always a bit of a challenge as a creative.
In 2022 I switched my process from torch work (essentially working directly into the metal with heat, and then hammering, grinding, filing etc) to wax work (building a piece into wax and then having it cast into metal and then adding the stones). As a new mom of two I started prioritizing taking care of my health and was concerned about my potential exposure from heat work with metal over time.. and the wax work is a much cleaner way to work. It also opened up so many new design possibilities. But it was a huge shift and I’m still adjusting to the new way of working. I had to create a whole new line of work and that meant investing a new materials, tools, and equipment. It was a painful transition from something I knew so well to something completely new. But in the end it was worth it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a jeweler but I come from a background in sculpture, so I’ve sort of blended the two disciplines and created my own methods of working. The result I think is really unique jewelry that doesn’t look like typical adornment. I think my designs are very distinct for having a pretty minimal metalwork that has a very hand made texture and quality. I often use raw crystals or simple polished gems that highlight the natural slightly “imperfect” qualities of the stones to highlight that these are pieces of the earth.
I make unique engagement rings for clients who are looking for something a little different than your standard diamond rings. These can be custom projects we work on long distance, and my LA clients come to my studio for their custom.
I also have a more approachable line of jewels in brass that are variations of the same designs, although I have make each one so they are all unique.
I was very proud to see Sean Lennon wearing one of my pieces to the Grammys this year, accepting multiple awards for his Father John. I think Sean is totally my vibe and it’s very cool to see who gravitates to my work. My clients geberally don’t shop trends but are looking for objects they feel a connection to and they will wear and use these pieces forever. The stones have their own magnetism and that’s really what I’m trying to honor with my work. I think for people who have a connection to stones and gems, they really connect to my work and so many of my clients have been coming to me for years and have growing collections. The work often finds its way onto altars or as wall art when it’s not being worn, which is what I live as a sculptor and jeweler. I want to make objects that hold their own even when not being worn.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I listen to a lot of books and podcasts while I’m working but there’s really no common thread between them. I like to learn something unusual from podcasts so I’m usually going down a history rabbit hole.
I only wish there were so many podcasts when back in the day when I started this work. I basically had radiolab and this American life back then.
Pricing:
- My brass line is on a stage priced between $180-$350
- Gold pieces start around $500 and go up from there based on the metal karat and stones involved.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Mirandahope.com
- Instagram: Mirandahopejewelry
Image Credits
All images by me
