About the Artist
Through my artwork, I breathe new life into forgotten treasures—transforming vintage and fashion jewelry into one-of-a-kind works of art to be cherished for generations. Each piece carries the sparkle and charm of another era, repurposed into designs that celebrate both history and creativity.
After a fulfilling 35-year career with a major automotive company in Michigan, I finally had the opportunity to focus more fully on a creative passion I’d long put on hold—creating art from vintage and fashion jewelry.
Each piece I create begins with a history: a rhinestone once worn to a dance, a brooch pinned on a Sunday coat, a pearl clasped for a special occasion. I imagine these pieces in their prime—when they sparkled with intention and meaning—and give them a second life by weaving them into carefully composed designs that tell a new story without erasing the old one.
After a fulfilling 35-year career with a major automotive company in Michigan, I finally had the opportunity to focus more fully on a creative passion I’d long put on hold—creating art from vintage and fashion jewelry.
Each piece I create begins with a history: a rhinestone once worn to a dance, a brooch pinned on a Sunday coat, a pearl clasped for a special occasion. I imagine these pieces in their prime—when they sparkled with intention and meaning—and give them a second life by weaving them into carefully composed designs that tell a new story without erasing the old one.
Arlene Lewis
One of my most personal works is
My Heritage Tree.
Years ago, buried deep inside a 1930s pine hope chest, I rediscovered a small wooden jewelry box — the kind with a tiny ballerina that twirls when opened. Inside were my father’s cufflinks and tie tacks, and my mother’s chartreuse flower earrings and matching bracelet — the jewelry she wore to my sister’s wedding just one month before her passing.
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I was seventeen when my mother died in 1968. Today, those pieces are no longer tucked away. They live openly within my Heritage Tree design, alongside vintage buttons and sentimental jewelry entrusted to me by family and friends — honoring memory, lineage, and the beauty of what we choose to preserve.
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My favorite part of the process is the treasure hunt. I search estate sales, antique markets, and thrift shops for forgotten brooches, clip earrings, vintage buttons, and other jewelry pieces waiting for a second life in a new design.
These elements come together in my favorite designs: floral bouquets, heritage trees, hearts, crosses, and custom maps—each thoughtfully arranged to honor both beauty and sentiment.
For example, in one floral design, a silver shoe clip marked Made in France—likely from the 1920s or 1930s—became the vessel beneath the blooms. I love honoring where an object has been while imagining what it can become.
I love honoring where an object has been while imagining what it can become next.