EMILY BAKER | SWORD + FERN

Ancient Future Necklace with
Sea Urchin Bones, Vintage Brass
Cubes and Car Parts

The Portland Japanese Garden, located in Portland, Oregon, ranks as one of the most authentic Japanese

gardens in the United States. 

The five acre site situated in Washington Park highlights a century-plus pagoda, waterfalls and raked white sands.  Oregon is also home to featured jewelry designer Emily Baker.

I love the gloss and glamour of 18-karat gold designer jewelry; but I also love jewelry with a—I daresay—unpretentious quality.  

Baker’s unconventional style that combines elements of timeless design and statement making accents is a fabulous contrast to expertly faceted gemstones, and pristine outlines of gold metal.

Her Earth goddess, naturalistic jewelry brand, Sword + Fern, evokes soft breezes, overcast days, and sunrises over the ocean.  The aesthetic is the perfect balance of quirky style and plenty of transient, ethereal colors courtesy of semi-precious gemstones and recycled glass.

The Portland-based jeweler deftly integrates irregular forms and muted colors.  Her differentiated Shadow Hoop Earrings highlight two-toned metal: half matte charcoal, and half shiny brass-bronze. 

Recycled glass comes in hues of pastels: sky blue, lavender, and green.  The hand-dyed wooden beads of her Memorizer Necklaces range in delectable ombre shades of rose, fuchsia and dark amethyst.   

Rough cut gemstones like pale citrine, Dalmatian jasper, kyanite, and lapis serve as protective and healing talismans as they dangle from silk cords in tribal-like designs.

Small Sword Earrings with Tusk-Shaped
Lavender Recycled Glass

 “My most beloved way to work is to gather materials by happenstance.  I mess them up and leave it; then I come back to it.  I let my senses rule my process,” says the 37-year-old.

“My Memorizer collection is inspired by ancient Pacific Northwest First Nations’ myth of Copper Woman, the First Mother of civilization. 

The alchemic imperfections of hand-cut copper, hand-dyed wood, engraved graphics on leather all blend to tell the story of a secret society’s traditions and their vision of women’s ancient wisdom, power and strength.  I want my jewelry to be a kind of weird, unexpected experience.”

Baker’s approach to her Portland-based shop/studio (that shares the Sword + Fern name) is along the same lines.  

Her Sword + Fern store is a place where visitors can find “thoughtfully curated items in celebration of the non-precious, the imperfect, and the un-manifested.  This store is about taking someone on a joyride to the space alive inside their own personal landscapes.”

Vintage Brass Cuff Bracelet

2014 Jewelry Trend Alert:  Baker’s boho chic style is populated with beautiful soft hues, tribal flourishes, and talismans; each style is on trend.