Lucia Olson designs hand-made jewelry which celebrates the beauty that is golf. Custom-made pieces are available for women and men. They’re on display at Lucia’s web site: “Just Fore You Jewelry”
Golf Conversations: What prompted you to design golf-inspired hand-made jewelry?
Lucia Olson: I was looking for a comfortable and elegant piece of golf jewelry but couldn’t find it , so decided to create pieces that I would wear!
GC: What is it about golf that you find aesthetically pleasing?
LO: The game is played in such lovely locations, providing an active yet relaxing experience. I want to create jewelry that would suit that approach.
GC: Do you play golf? If not, any interest in learning the game?
LO: I’ve played the game, but haven’t been bitten by the golfing bug (yet)!
GC: How did you learn to create jewelry?
LO: I have always been interested in art, jewelry and how things are made. My grandfather taught me how to use tools and it all evolved from there – metal shop, jewelry-making classes and professional affiliations.
GC: How long have you been making jewelry?
LO: For about 5 years in my home shop.
GC: Take me through the steps of producing one of your pieces, say, the “Double Golf Ball Bangle.” How many hours does it take to produce this piece? Is it done all at once or is it a process that has starts and stops?
LO: For the golf jewelry line, I have wonderfully talented artisans in Thailand that hand make each and every piece. I draw many sketches showing my ideas from different angles, and then create a prototype to make sure that the design will work. I fax the drawings to my Thai artists with directional guides. They then create a master and from that, start to hand make every piece. When finished, the items are shipped to me, and I check each one for quality before sending them on to the buying location.
GC: You use many beautiful semi-precious stones and minerals in your work; do they come from the U.S. or from different areas of the world? Is it difficult to acquire any of these stones; i.e., are they in short supply?
LO: I chose to have my pieces made in Thailand for a number of reasons. The Thai culture has a long history of superior metalworking, as well as having access to some of the most beautiful stones in the world.
GC: Is one stone or mineral more difficult than another to work with?
Lucia Olson at Work
LO: Each type of stone has different characteristics, different strengths and brittleness. They each need to be handled differently – the kind of mounting used, the location of the stone in the design, and fabricating temperature all need to be taken into consideration.
GC: I love those golf dimples on the ring and the earrings! How do you create the dimpling effect?
LO: The dimples are initially carved into the wax master prototype by the artist, then the molten metal is poured into the mold, picking up the pattern.
GC: Is your jewelry available in gold or platinum?
LO: Yes – we handle special orders in both metals.
GC: How do I know if your rings will fit my finger? I don’t see sizing information on your website.
LO: The ball and tee ring and the double ball ring, they are designed to fit most people. They can slowly and gently be expanded or closed to fit. On the dimple ring, I have them available in whole sizes from 6 – 10. You’ll need to tell me what size your finger is!
GC: Let’s say I order a piece from your Web site. How long will it take before I receive it?
LO: If I have the piece in stock, it will be sent out right away. If it is a special order (gold or platinum) it will be about 4 weeks.
GC: If I’d like to send one of your pieces as a gift, do you offer special gift wrapping and packaging?
LO: Each of the items comes in a black-and-white polka-dot mesh pouch or a small jewelry box with a silver stretch ribbon around it, ready to give!
GC: What’s the best way to care for my silver pieces?
LO: There are lots of good silver polish products on the market. Personally, I like to use the polishing clothes to clean up the pieces.
GC: What should I do about tarnish? Are silver-care directions offered on your Web site or included with purchases?
LO: Not yet, but soon!
GC: Can you engrave the inside of the “Dimple Cuff”?
LO: This piece is designed with areas that can be engraved with either corporate emblems or a special sentiment. It is a perfect piece for any corporate gifting situation.
GC: I notice you live on Bainbridge Island in Washington, also home to the famous mountaineer Ed Viesturs. Have you ever met Ed?
LO: Yes. One of my many volunteer projects was helping to plan an event for the Children’s Museum here on the island with a Tibetan theme. Mr. Viesturs was a special guest – what a remarkable person he is!
