Lila Clare
My name is Clare Johnston, and I make sterling silver, gold and gemstone jewelry that interprets nature in graceful and elegant forms.
Lila Clare Jewelry is classic jewelry that you can wear everyday, yet still feel special and celebrated. Pieces that look delicate and dainty, but are crafted with such care and attention that they are secure and solid. Jewelry that you want for yourself, and love to give as a gift.
When I make jewelry, I feel energized and connected to my creative self. I infuse this into each piece and it becomes the starting point for your style, for your strength, for your journey.
I’ve had an enduring connection with nature since I was a child and was raised to appreciate the value of handmade work. When I was two, my family moved from the city to rural North Georgia. We lived in a tent while my parents built our house. Logs were our dining chairs and the stream provided water. I remember pressing leaves into the still moist concrete foundation and playing with wood shavings as my father started his fine furniture making business. The countless hours I spent exploring the forest around our home firmly ingrained a love of and respect for nature.
In 2010, I transitioned out of a career in social work and moved to Tucson, AZ. I was drawn to the desert for the striking landscape, warmth and sun. I took metalsmithing classes and began to make jewelry. My relationship with nature continues and translates into the designs. I lost wax cast and hand fabricate (form, hammer, shape, cut, solder) sterling silver, gold and gemstone jewelry that interprets the natural environment in graceful and elegant forms. Lila Clare Jewelry is handmade in Arizona, and reflects my time in both desert and forest habitats.
Lila Clare Jewelry is made to give women simple, classic jewelry that helps them form a deeper connection with themselves and the earth. It is made to give back to my community. It is inspired by nature, and formed from earth’s elements while striving to take very little from the earth. Lila Clare Jewelry is fundamentally an expression of my voice and honors the legacy of making that my parents began on that small mountain in North Georgia.
