ARTIST PROFILE

NANCY KARPEL,artist/designer
Nancy's career spans 35 years of study in jewelry design and metal construction techniques, operation of her studio in New Haven, Connecticut and marketing her work through the studio and numerous galleries across the United States and abroad.
Her work has received both local and natonal attention. She has been featured in publicatons including Lapidary Journal, Jeweler's Circular Keystone, The Baltimore Sun, The New York Times, Niche Magazine, and many New Haven and Hartford, CT newspapers. Her work is featured in several current books on working with metal clay.

"I have been a customer of Nancy Karpel for over 27 years, since I was a college student in New Haven. Regardless of my budget over the years, Nancy has always been a reliable source of jewelry that never looks outdated, including one-of-a-kind and custom pieces in a variety of price ranges. All the pieces I have purchased from her over the years have withstood the test of time and look as fresh today as when I first bought them."-Elizabeth Yen

Nancy has been presented with several awards and honors from prestigious organizations and institutions such as The Bruce Museum in CT, New Haven Advocate newspaper, Society of CT Craftsmen, and the Niche Magazine Design Award. Her work is part of the permanent collections of both The White House and the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
She has a degree in Business Management, was awarded the Diamond Grading Certificate from The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and is a Certified Instructor of Precious Metal Clay (PMC). Nancy has taught all levels of traditional jewelry making classes at local craft schools, private school, and small classes at her workshop- where she also has provided internships to students from local colleges and high schools.
Nancy's work in the community resulted in new space for local artists to show their work, fund raising for local women's shelters, and a "Badge of Hope" campaign to raise money for the 9/11 disaster relief funds. Currently, she participates with the "Ethical Metalsmiths" organization and "No Dirty Gold" campaign to promote responsible metals mining practices and raise awareness among the jewelry industry and those who work with metal.
Nancy has traveled throughout the Americas, Europe, and the UK, and draws her design inspiration from many sources. As with most original art, Nancy's work reflects both impressive technical skills and her own search for personal and spiritual growth. Underlying all of her designs is an effort to comprehend the interrelationships between humans, the earth, and the wider Universe.

"It has been my good fortune and pleasure to meet Nancy and discover her jewelry designs years ago. Whether it be in her description of a design's meaning or the methods used to obtain a particular design, she not only creates beautiful pieces of jewelry, but also shows her great talent and dedication to her craft. I treasure each piece that I've acquired and look forward to her future work."-Audrey Fred

"For more than 20 years I have been given and have bought jewelry designed and crafted by Nancy Karpel. Each piece in my personal collection is treasured and continues to generate compliments every time I wear it."-Laura Mutrie

N. KARPEL STUDIO
Nancy's workshop and showroom, N. Karpel Studio, is based in New Haven, CT, at The Marlin Business Center- a converted factory complex that brings together artists, architects, design groups, graphic designers, and other service companies. Here she fabricates and sells her jewelry of fine silver, sterling, and karat golds incorporated with traditional precious gems and unusual high quality mineral specimans. Jewelry with the N. Karpel hallmark expresses a revival of the methods of ancient artisans integrated with modern fabrication techniques.

Services at the Studio:
Custom Designing and Restyling- is a specialty at N. Karpel Studio. You can bring in your own ideas or have Nancy work with you on a design. Many clients bring us outdated pieces to re-style, or a precious stone to design a setting for. Call us to find out more about the custom design process.
Original Wedding Ring Designs- Choose from our diverse collection of wedding ring designs or have your wedding set designed especially for you in 14k, 18k, 22k, or silver.
Appraisals- We provide written appraisals for jewelry purchased from N. Karpel Studio at no additional charge. We also provide fee-based insurance appraisals on your jewelry made of gold, silver, or diamonds. Nancy has earned certification by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in diamond grading.
Restringing- We re-string your worn or broken strands of pearls or semi-precious and precious stone beads, knotted or unknotted, on silk or other appropriate cord.
Repairs- All silver and gold repairs are done on-premises at N. Karpel Studio. Examples are broken chains, ring sizing, stone replacements, fixing broken earrings posts, etc..., as well as jewelry cleaning and restoration.
Diamond Re-cutting and Repair- We can arrange to have poorly cut or chipped diamonds re-cut, restored, and renewed to their ultimate brilliance. Information is available on request.

The studio is open to the public by appointment and during seasonal open-studio hours. This insures private and personal service in a relaxed environment. Call the studio for an appointment to view the entire collection in person or to discuss a special project. Check our NEWS page periodically for open-studio hours, trade show exhibits, special sales, and informative jewelry news and advice.

Please e-mail us if you have any questions or comments about our site, our jewelry, or general jewelry questions. We will respond in a timely manner.
Visit the FEATURED WORK page for information on jewelry seen on this website. Ordering information is at the bottom of the FEATURED WORK page.