Erica Molinari’s Evolution As A Jewelry Designer

Finding your voice and distinctive point of view often takes a designer time before hitting their stride and accessing the medium and aesthetic that makes their heart sing, that comes from deep down and that challenges everything they have learned up to that point. And, in the fickle world of jewelry, where the next, latest designer is just around the corner, about to get discovered, longevity and evolution provide staying power. Erica Molinari has had that staying power for the past 20 years. Perhaps it was her first career as a National and Olympic US Luge Team member. She competed in the Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Canada in 1988 and in Albertville, France in 1992. It took stamina, the ability to stick it out with strength to keep going in the face of different trials, which she has applied to her career in jewelry design.

She launched her collection in 2005 after taking classes and apprenticing with a bench jeweler for six years.

Today she is a thriving designer and has found the medium she is most passionate about—working in different techniques of vitreous glass enamel.

After working with various materials such as pearls and precious gemstones with a distinct flair for feminine yet soulful pieces, Erica began to branch out as she figured out how to meld her sensibilities with her affinity for jewelry that is deeply entrenched with symbolism and meaning. She has continued to rejuvenate jewelry from the past with a newly found presence. Her silver and 18K gold charms are exceptional examples of how to create a modern take on a historical theme, designed for today and to wear well into the future. The charms are double-sided with motifs and sayings in Latin or Italian—and all evoke sentiments and mottos that are utterly relatable and hit a responsive chord with a broad demographic of customers. It can range from messages of devotion, friendship, empowerment, romantic love, faith, and loyalty to the more witty and whimsical. Her selection has become vast and the bread and butter of her line, offering new pieces every season for the women who are collectors and the retailers who continue to make multiple sales when they show how her pieces easily mix and match.

But, her most recent venture, which she started with a few pieces seven years ago, has added vitreous enamel (hot/hard enamel) into the mix. She has created three different collections for which she has learned the art and craft of working in various techniques of vitreous glass, which she applies to her pieces by herself.

“When I started out with the vitreous glass enamel, I was using one enameller in New York, but she retired like many people in Manhattan working in this medium. Luckily I saw that the 92 Street Y was holding a course in the different styles of vitreous glass enameling and decided to take it. I also realized that I was the one person who knew exactly what I wanted to create and I have always loved to challenge myself.”

And challenging it was. During this course, Erica realized how many steps are in the process, and as she learned more, she knew there would be a lot of trial and error in doing it herself. She credits the instructor Katharine Wood for her knowledge and her working with Erica to learn how to go full force into various techniques.

The three collections all focus on what Erica does best – significant pieces with messages and meanings through a mix of motifs and sayings.

Similar to the rebellious and ingenious Art Nouveau jewelers, she is mixing up different enamel processes within one piece. She has created modern versions of the different old-world techniques, which all utilize transparent or opaque vitreous glass (hard/hot) enamel.

Pieces include “Under The Looking Glass” styles which are rendered in enamel, 18K gold and encased by white (clear) sapphire crystal. One of the newest additions to the collection look like true paintings of fruits, flowers and naturalistic motifs, other pieces reference guilliouche, champlevé and base taille ename; techniques. (See brief definitions for these processes here)

Although she works with a range of colors, each of her pendants or charms becomes a limited edition piece in that the hues can vary depending on different aspects in the process. For those who want genuinely individualized pieces, this makes them even more desirable.

Although other designers are working with vitreous glass enamel, Erica is the designer providing the most range in her designs. “I get into a sort of Zen like state while I am mixing colors, painting and going through the process. If I get stumped, I work on a piece until I figure it out and have had some wonderful support by artisan jewelers who have worked in this medium earlier in their careers, and of course, my instructor Katharine.” She adds, “This has been a seven-year-in-the-making direction and I am glad that I have learned enough just to begin to create the pieces that continue to swirl around in my head.” She is humble since retailers snap them up as soon as she comes out with a new batch. At a trade show in August 2022, she sold out of all the pieces she brought and is now filling orders on the rest while getting ready for trunk shows. If you aren’t familiar with Erica Molinari, you should be and if you already are a collector, there is more to come…

Here is a selection of Erica’s work which she says is more modern and wearable than the inspirational pieces that give the nod to the techniques from the 19^th and early 20^th centuries:

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