EDM Designs Hand Crafted Steampunk Jewelry & Accessories [A Neo-Vintage Slice of Exquisite Yesteryear Style]

We get many (and I mean many) contacts from companies and individuals asking for us to feature their products here on EP but, being a particularly discerning type of site, though we give each request due consideration, few actually make it through. But the moment we set eyes on EDM Designs’ beautifully hand crafted Steampunk jewelry and accessories we knew (as one instinctively does) that a placement on the hallowed pages of EP was wholly assured.

Interestingly, whist we tend to ask vendors of any size or description to offer, at the very least, a little insight as to their products, their motivation and so forth, in our experience the few that we contact can so seldom actually manage to rustle up anything of note (too busy trying to attain sales as opposed to inspire, it would seem) which is, thankfully, something that cannot be said of Ricky, the individual behind EDM Designs, who has kindly offered us an insight as to her (intricate and not unimpressive) Steampunk designs that cover everything from rings to cufflinks, pendants to necklaces.

We duly hand over to Ricky of EDM Designs:

I started years ago in the jewelry business in Manhattan’s diamond district soldering gold necklaces link by link and repairing piecework. With more experience I moved on and received my certification in Gemology and was employed grading precious stones and diamonds for very large well known manufacturers. For a short while I was brokering raw diamond parcels, wrapped and chained to my person as I hustled amongst the old world professionals in the famed Diamond District of New York. Much of my family background is European (Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, The Netherlands, etc) with many in the diamond and jewelry business, so I was always exposed in one fashion or another to nearly all facets of jewelry making process at a very early age.

Somewhere along the way, I grew to appreciate the mind-boggling craftsmanship and beauty of vintage timepieces. I would walk over to the watch repairmenʼs workbenches and stare as they worked with loupes and micro tools to repair or remodel exquisite timepieces of all types. To me, these mechanical wonders were pieces of jewelry in themselves and I wanted to find a way to share this beauty with others through my jewelry. You would be surprised how many people never knew that those old wristwatches that you “have to wind” contain such exquisite treasures, replete with rubies, gold and highly precise miniature gears.

In my jewelry you will find designs that touch the spirit of those with an appreciation for the lifestyle and old world adornments of the vintage eras, yet still has a modern edge. My work is certainly influenced by my utmost respect for the brilliant and skilled craftsmanship of vintage watch movements and the master artisans of yesteryear that hand created these intricate and fascinating little worlds of synchronicity and artistic beauty. To be able to repurpose them and allow these mini landscapes of art find new life in today’s times gives me tremendous pleasure.

The end result of my efforts offers to those who remember, and those who have yet to appreciate, hand crafted jewelry that pays homage to this lost world of mechanical time.
Particularly unique to this site is the ability for executives and other well-situated clientele to find accessories such as cufflinks, rings, tie tacs, money clips, etc. created with watch mechanisms from some of the most revered names in fine watches. All of my Steampunk jewelry designs offers something “different from the rest” in that you will not see my creations “coming and going” on anyone who just wants to slap any parts together and call it unique.

The resulting pieces are simultaneously sleek and classic and offer consumers a departure from mass manufactured trinkets and instead provides hand made art-pieces that are truly one-of-a-kind.

My work is currently featured in several galleries and boutiques. I am also in negotiations to help produce special release packaging for the band Korn, and I am involved in a project to develop an exclusive line of cell phones, priced at several thousand dollars per unit that will ultimately be made available exclusively by invitation only in a very limited run – the entrepreneur behind this project was quite taken with my work and I was honored to be asked to join a team of well known designers all working on this exclusive project.

Most of my designs feature the styles and manufacturers of fine watch pieces from the mid to late 1800′s and even into the early 1940′s. I try most often to preserve the integrity of the focal movement and will only utilize pieces that can no longer serve their original purpose. To be able to repurpose them and allow these mini landscapes of art find new life in today’s times gives me tremendous pleasure.

Undoubtedly, Ricky’s work under the mantel of EDM Designs, we would agree, serves to distinguish itself from what are otherwise some fairly poor and overtly pale imitations we’ve come across that are seemingly founded on the wholly misguided notion that gluing any old recycled items together merits the often haphazard results falling under the term ‘Steampunk’. This is not something that can be said of Ricky’s work, however, as, quite apart from an obvious understanding of and respect for all things Steampunk, the attention to detail concerning the composition of her jewelry, and the obvious love with which it is assembled, positively shines through.

Ricky’s exquisite Steampunk jewelry collection can be viewed via EDM Design’s Etsy site, as linked below, and the fact that one feels as though one is viewing the pages of some gallery brochure as opposed to an online shopping portal says, we think, a great deal in terms of quite where we place Ricky’s work in the scheme of things. Highly recommended (and that comes without any affiliation whatsoever).

EDM Designs