I grew up in rural Connecticut, and moved West permanently after working on the Navajo Reservation midway through college. I fell in love with the western landscape and finished my BFA at the University of Colorado in 1973. After 10 years of making jewelry in Boulder I settled, unexpectedly, in Nebraska. I now work with three fulltime assistants and my husband, Craig Roper, who manages the business end of the studio.

My jewelry combines bold, simple shapes in a sensual blend that results in an organic geometry. I use textures and surface patterns for tactile and visual interest. Wearability is always a critical consideration for me: my jewelry needs to be comfortable and graceful as well as sculptural, strong and well crafted.

Working with the materials is the most exciting part of the process for me. Simply put, I like making things. Give me some metal and a pot of good coffee and I'm ready to go. The diverse selection of stones I use in my one-of-a-kind pieces: from dinosaur bone to drusy, opals and diamonds, allows me to exercise my love of color in endless combinations. These stones are then set in sterling silver, 18k and 22k gold.