Ursula Masterson

Exclusive Fashion Q and A preview!

Just before the holidays I had a chance to sit down with jeweler and friend Ursula Masterson. We had a wonderful chat about her craft, why she became a jeweler and where she sees her collection heading.

Here on the Planet Style Blog you will find part of the Q and A session that we had together. Stay tuned for the complete interview to be published on FashionQandA.com.

PS: Where are you originally from? How do you incorporate your ethnic background and cultural identity into your work?

UM: I grew up in Vermont, but spent a good deal of my childhood traveling around Europe on sabbatical leaves with my parents. As a child and teenager, I was fortunate enough to live in Greece and the south of France. Later, during my television news career, I was based in Moscow and London. There’s no doubt that these experiences have informed my work: From the azure blue water encircling the isle of Capri to the gilt iconostases of the Kremlin’s cathedrals, religion, history, and foreign landscapes have all made an enduring mark on my jewelry design.

PS: Jewelers need a high degree of skill, precision, and attention to detail. Can you briefly describe your design process? What does it take to create a piece for your line from start to finish?

UM: My design process always starts with a vision: It can come at any time… in the middle of the night, on the subway or on a long day’s drive. I am usually struck by some prosaic object in the middle of my path, like the grid on a manhole cover, the gilded cornice of a building, or a silhouette created by trees lining the highway. I then make sketches in my head until I can get to a piece of paper. Often a Post-It will suffice! At this point, depending on the technique called for, I gather my materials (silver rod, stones, bezels, chain, etc.,) or simply start carving. Most often I work in wax, which I later cast into silver or gold. I make the original model myself and then work with a number of bench jewelers, polishers, and stone setters in New York’s Diamond district to perfect the final piece.

PS: Advances in jewelry production have allowed jewelers to produce a higher quality product at a reduced cost and in a shorter amount of time. What type of technology, if any, do you use to construct your pieces?

UM: For the most part, I use slightly updated versions of technology that have been around for thousands of years, mainly lost-wax casting, soldering, engraving, and bezel setting. But for some lines, I work with a technician to scan artwork into a computer so it can be etched onto wax sheets. The resulting model can be adjusted after it’s been cast into metal.


PS: How many years have you been merchandising your line and where can people buy your jewelry?

UM: I launched Ursula Masterson Jewelry in 2004. At first, I worked with several different showrooms and stores downtown, but eventually I started doing biannual design shows in Chelsea and developing my own roster of private clients, with whom I work one-on-one to create designs tailored to them. If white gold works better with their skin tone, I change the metal. If they prefer sapphires to diamonds, I can work on that too. I even do lower cost versions of my “haute” pieces to fit smaller budgets. It’s a great way to work that’s both fun for the client and energizing for me!

PS: What would you like the world to know about Ursula Masterson Jewelry?

UM: I’d like them to know that Ursula Masterson Jewelry isn’t just another collection of pretty baubles. There’s a story behind each design, and every piece has a name. Taken together, the collection is a humble reflection of historical tastes and a celebration of the human instinct to create and adorn.

If you would like to hear more from Ursula Masterson, check back on www.FashionQandA.com in the coming weeks, where the full interview will be published.