About Crystal Hartman Art Jewelry

Artist and jeweler Crystal Hartman was born in the mouth of a canyon and raised behind a jeweler's bench in Southwest Colorado. She began carving wax, cutting stones, and forming metal as a child. Inspired by the natural world and drawn to the acts of gathering and storytelling, her pieces grow and flourish, reflecting who and where we are. Borrowing from traditional practices in drawing, book-making, and metal-smithing Hartman creates sculptures in wax, building up and carving in to expose new layers and soften the details of the old. Like water moving up the shoreline, stories built through botanical, entomological, and mammalian forms leave small hints of what was there before while creating open spaces in which we can breathe and dream. Each piece shared in this collection was carved from sustainably-harvested beeswax, cast into recycled fine metals, and set with ethical stones, often cut by Hartman's father or brother. Each piece is tested for comfort and wearability as well as quality and character. Hartman maintains a studio in Urbana IL. Her artwork has been exhibited at locations such as the Center for Contemporary Arts Barcelona, Spain, the National Palace of Culture, Sofia Bulgaria, the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder CO. Hartman's jewelry designs have been featured in Art Jewelry Magazine, and exhibited at locations such as the Lilstreet Art Gallery, Chicago, Kathleen Sommers, San Antonio, and through the Society of North American Goldsmiths.Read their story