Jill Winston

An impact of all things artistically designed, converge in Jill’s jewelry designs. Using raw materials such as metals, gems and glass, along with found objects from around the world, she assembles and creates jewelry for the modern woman. Contemporary and edgy, yet timelessly, classic designs are the end result of her worldwide wanderings, landing firmly in the world of jewelry.

Jill grew up in the Detroit area where the influences of rock and roll music and leading edge design permeated all aspects of life and education. She developed her artistic senses first at Cranbrook, then moved on to Ypsilanti to specialize in Arts Management at Eastern Michigan University. It was there, her loves converged in music and art. While working with a rock music promoter, she not only designed posters, album covers and promotional materials, but got to work with great rock and jazz bands as well. The path then led to working with CBS Records in San Francisco and then to Australia managing video promotions for CBS Fox Video. Making art beautiful, attractive and sometimes fun or edgy, in any way, from any culture, was, and still is her motivation and delight.

Jill seeks a wide range of experiences and form in art. She feels it critical to keep an eye on new developments in art, jewelry and their techniques—to find the art forms that best reflect our time and different cultures. She has studied jewelry design and technique at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz, Oxbow in Saugatuck and Rio Grande in New Mexico. Most recently, glass art is the point of convergence. She plays with fire, making glass beads in her studios-- one in Santa Cruz California, the other in Saugatuck Michigan.

Jill and her husband live in Santa Cruz for most of the year and summer in Saugatuck where their extended family gathers in the warm sun filled days at the lake. Her three lovely daughters are thrilled to have a jewelry maker in the family.

Jill’s jewelry has been spotted at the Grammy Awards yet has the versatility to be worn at all occasions, day into night, always enhancing the wearer’s unique and beautiful style.