Behind The Curtain

 

David and I first met while working at the VA hospital in Maine in 2005, and we were married in 2008. In 2011, we made the move to Vermont, and in 2018, we found our home on a quiet country road in rural Vermont. Here, we’re surrounded by peaceful farmland and pastures, with the state forest just beyond our backyard. Without neighbors or streetlights, our days are filled with the soothing sounds of a babbling brook, birdsong, and the occasional hum of a distant tractor.

Dianne

Hi, I’m Dianne, a self-taught metalsmith, enamelist, and aspiring photographer behind Divella Designs. My journey into jewelry-making began in 2007, and with the support of my husband David, I took a leap of faith to pursue this passion full-time.

Inspired by two remarkable artistic women in my twenties and thirties, I explored a variety of creative outlets before discovering my true love—working with metals, enamels, and gemstones. My studio has since become my sanctuary, where I dream, experiment, and craft timeless pieces you’ll love to wear and share.

Nature plays a central role in my work. Whether it's a walk in the woods near our home or foraging for materials, I find endless inspiration in the natural world. Each piece is handcrafted with care, forged, enameled, and finished by hand, designed to be treasured for a lifetime.

David

David, my husband and partner, is the man behind the scenes at Divella Designs. From building benches and shelves for my studio to crafting beautiful wooden jewelry boxes and displays for local shops, he brings his craftsmanship and creativity to every project. Although he still works full-time at the VA, David loves spending his free time with family, tending to our property, and working in his woodshop

One day, while trimming the maple trees out back, he discovered some spalted wood—a unique form of coloration caused by fungi, which creates the striking zone lines you see in his pieces. Each of David's creations is made entirely by hand and finished with food-safe products like beeswax, butcher block wax, and mineral oil, ensuring they’re as functional as they are beautiful.

Oliver & Bailey

Our loyal studio assistants, Oliver and Bailey, bring their own unique charm to our daily life. Oliver, a 30-pound terrier mix we adopted in Maine back in 2009, is an energetic squirrel chaser. Despite his age, he's still out in the yard, leaping several feet into the air in pursuit of birds (which he has, unfortunately, caught a few times), squirrels, or any critter brave enough to wander into his domain.

Bailey, on the other hand, is an 80-pound mix of boxer, American bulldog, golden retriever, great dane, and chow, adopted in 2018 from the Springfield Humane Society, just a mile from our home. While Oliver patrols the yard, Bailey prefers to relax indoors, lounging contentedly in his favorite corner of the sofa.

Mindset:

At Divella Designs, we’re committed to using our natural resources responsibly and are always striving to improve. This mindset extends beyond our studios to our entire home. We prioritize conserving, recycling, refining, reusing, and composting in our daily lives, ensuring that we minimize waste and make thoughtful choices for the environment.

Materials:

At Divella Designs, we proudly partner with U.S. artisans and small businesses to ensure that the materials and gemstones we use are sustainably and responsibly sourced. Every gem is mined, cut, and polished with care, reflecting our commitment to ethical practices.

Our metals include fine silver, sterling silver, 23k–24k gold, copper, niobium (for some ear wires), 14k gold-filled, as well as natural wood, leather, and faux leather. We never use gold or silver-plated materials, ensuring that every piece is crafted to last with the highest quality standards.

In the Keum Boo pieces, the gold 24k pure gold, not filled or plated. An example of Keum Boo is shown below.

Why Gold Filled?

First, let me clear up any confusion about what gold filled actually means. Gold filled is not the same as gold plated. Gold filled metal in the US has literally 100 times more gold than gold plated. Using a combination of heat and pressure, the gold is bonded to a core of high-quality jewelers brass whereas gold plated metals can have cores of various base metals, including nickel. The bonding process in making gold filled metals allows for the metal to be textured, manipulated, and shaped without exposing the core below.

At Divella Designs we use 14/20 gold filled sheet and wire which means the karat purity of the gold used is 14 karat and the gold represents 1/20th of the total weight. You get the look and feel of pure gold without the heavy price tag. Because of the thick gold layer and the bonding process there are very few people who cannot wear gold filled jewelry. Gold filled metals are also recyclable as refineries are able to separate the gold from the brass so the gold can be recovered and is not wasted. 

The wood for our jewelry is from our own maple, oak and pine trees; and the wood for the jewelry boxes and displays are from scraps of wood from other projects. 

Why Niobium?

Niobium is hypoallergenic and a great alternative for anyone who is sensitive or allergic to other metals. 

Juried member of 802 Arts House