Hi, I’m Laura. ♥  For many years, I assisted a fine jeweler (my husband); but despite learning the basics, I never felt any real pull to make jewelry myself (a sore point).

That all changed when I stumbled on mitsuro hikime six years ago. 

Mitsuro hikime is a sculpting wax that has been used for centuries by Japanese artisans. The Japanese roots of the words are “mitsu” (honey); “ro” (wax); “hiki” (draw); and “me” (texture). Jewelry made with mitsuro wax reflects the beauty of organic form and natural elements such as flowers, leaves, and waves.

In order to create the wax, I mix pine resin and bees wax. I pull the wax quickly to create organic shapes and textures. The process is very fluid and meditational, as the wax cools quickly, so it is impossible to control the outcome completely. When I’ve finished the designs, I sprue and cast the wax models via the lost wax casting process in my Portland, Oregon studio. All of my jewelry is handmade by me, from start to finish.

When I first saw a ring made with mitsuro wax, there was very little information on the Internet about the process, so I happily went down the rabbit hole of discovery. I tweaked the recipe to learn how different formulas would create different textures. I quickly realized that the process is finicky, as the wax is temperamental. The manner in which the wax pulls is dependent upon outside temperature and body heat, as well as the recipe of the wax itself. 

I am obsessed with everything about this wax, from the smell of the pine resin and beeswax; to the calm feeling that I get when I pull it; to the joy and wonder that I feel after casting, when I see how the wax is rendered in metal.

Thank you for visiting my website. I hope that you enjoy viewing my work.