Meet Liette from Flying Crow Metalworks

Why do we love jewelry so deeply? Perhaps because it reflects something internal—our personality, our mood, even our aspirations.  Jewelry can be intimate or playful, symbolic or spontaneous. It tells a story without words and it is always deeply personal.

I want to introduce you to Liette of flyingcrowmetalworks.com, a Tuscon, AZ based metalsmith artist whose work embodies that quiet storytelling.

Meet Liette, metalsmith artist & owner of Flying Crow Metalworks

Liette has been a maker for as long as she can remember. As a child, she filled her time creating—friendship bracelets, shoebox dollhouses, endless drawings and paintings. After college, feeling uncertain about her next step, she enrolled in a jewelry-making class at a local community college. What began as a lark quickly became an all-consuming obsession. 

The ancient process of reshaping metal with fire and tools captivated her. She immersed herself completely—buying books, collecting tools, and spending countless hours at the bench, playing with torch and metal, hammer and saw - learning through touch, heat, and repetition.

Metal, Stone, and Story

In the early days of her jewelry making, Liette was drawn primarily to metalsmithing itself.  But a visit to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show opened a new door. Surrounded by stones shaped by heat, pressure, and time, she discovered a powerful new element for her work.

Today, the use of unique and unusual stones are central to her designs.  Each stone is connected to the place it was formed, shaped by heat and pressure and influenced by an amalgam of minerals injected at just the right time and in the right amount to paint patterns, textures and colors into natural masterpieces formed slowly and intentionally.  

Tools of the Trade

Liette uses a variety of tools to make her jewelry, many of them part of a process that hasn’t changed for centuries. She works daily with hammers, files, an anvil—and (of course!) always fire. Her torch is one of the most essential tools in her studio.

As she explains:

“Fine art jewelry truly is made by hand. Sometimes I start with molten metal but often I start with a flat sheet of silver and use tools to cut, bend, and form shapes. Even simple pieces take time—creating the initial design, then cutting and forming the metal, soldering, cleaning, filing, sanding, and polishing. Each step is important.  I love the challenge of taking an idea and bringing it to life with my own two hands.”

"There are multiple steps involved and each one is time consuming but crucial to bringing forth a finished product that looks effortless." 

Liette’s work continues to evolve, guided by curiosity and experimentation.

“When I started making jewelry it was out of the pure joy of making metal move. As my skills grew, I became interested in metal as textile which you can see in my Intertwined Collection where I weave silver wire into forms that then become jewelry. Once I began collecting stones for my work, I tapped into a well of inspiration that has yet to go dry.  Stones are infinitely inspiring to me, each one sparking new ideas.”

Liette's jewelry reflects this inspiration: fluid yet grounded, tactile yet refined.

Life Beyond the Studio

Outside the studio, Liette finds inspiration in nature and family life.  She enjoys gardening in her free time and especially enjoys when her plants not only stay alive, but give her family food to eat!  She stays busy hiking, mountain biking, and camping with her husband and two children. These moments outdoors—rooted, physical, and getting back to nature —quietly echo in her work.  

You can see Liette's fabulous work at www.flyingcrowmetalworks.com