River Market ArtSpace

Ala Jaron

Growing up just outside of Warsaw, Poland, Ala Jaron had a fascination with all things textural - beach stones from the banks of the river, the symmetry of snowflakes, the textiles and fabrics discarded from her father’s tailoring shop. In school, she was drawn to history books, with their primitive illustrations of ancient tools and artifacts, and photographs of elaborate jewelry worn by kings and queens. Nature was of particular interest - vibrant leaves in the autumn and wildflowers that seemed magical, each one possessing a one-of-a-kind beauty that today is captured in her necklaces, pins and earrings.

"As long as I can remember, I have expressed myself through art. I always had to create something, whether it was oil painting, ceramics, sculpture, fused glass or simple wreathes made out of loose branches I would collect at Christmas time. When I was introduced to jewelry design, it came very natural to me."

Ala brings a unique view to her work in its organic forms and textures. She creates using the techniques of fabrication, surface texture and soldering of metals. Each piece is hand fabricated from the raw metal and then set with semi-precious stones and pearls. As a last touch, Ala adds patina to give her work a rich, aged appearance.

Ala Jaron, being a self-taught artist, has been designing jewelry full time since 1993. She lives and works out of her home in Chicago. Ala Jaron Designs can be found now in prestigious galleries, museum stores and boutiques all across the United States.