Alexandra Novak
Artist Bio
The Alexa Novak jewelry collection is an alliance between handmade silver designs and organic Baltic amber; a sap resin from the tropical forest formed some 40 million years ago in the Baltic Sea region. Most of the world’s amber is 30-90 million years old. This precious material is often called a gemstone, and in ancient times it was treasured as highly as gold and was available only to Greek nobility. It is believed that the healing properties of amber can enhance romance, healing, patience, luck and success- and reflect negative energy from the body.
Novak’s motto for jewelry design is “simple elegance.” Growing up in Poland she was mesmerized with the history, beauty and origin of Baltic amber. It was a natural fit when she began designing and collaborating with Polish jewelry artists, creating collections to represent contemporary aesthetics and accentuate the stone’s inherent brilliance and natural inclusions. Every piece of Novak’s collection is handmade in Poland by selected metalsmiths, who use traditional techniques in creating her distinctive signature style. Novak now lives in (and finds inspiration) in California.
Artist Statement
“Growing up in Poland I attended art classes, including sketching and painting. Then while in US I studied art history and modern art history at College Of Marin. This path lead me to continue my jewelry design and collaborations with Polish artists. While being interested in art and design I also managed art galleries such as Spirits In Stone and Terra Firma Gallery in Berkeley. Today I am mostly concentrating on my jewelry line.
I work with Polish designers and collaborate on jewelry design projects. Including, sketching new designs, working with existing artist and their ideas. The process involves emailing sketches of my new designed ideas to be made by artists in Poland. Collaborating on art designing and ideas and jewelry making in Poland.” – Alexandra Novak, 2016