Lauren Shaddow has been creating metal stamped jewelry since 2014. She hammers, bends, drills, sands, and polishes raw precious metals into gorgeous, one-of-a-kind memories for her clients. As someone who has never been satisfied with the quicksand of complacency, she draws inspiration for her work from a place of constant growth. Not only does she try to improve upon her own personal skill every day, but she also seeks out the challenge of infusing creativity & personality to connect each piece to its owner.
Change is the one constant in all of our lives, & Lauren has embraced it as a means of professional & personal growth. Personally, she has undertaken massive steps to carve out her own definition of a life well lived. In 2012, she took on a 3,000 mile relocation when she drove from central New Jersey to the Bay Area in northern California in search of foreign & exciting surroundings.
Professionally, she earned her living as a cosmetologist & almost as soon as she headed west, she ascended to salon manager within a well known cosmetic chain. Never one to stand still, Lauren moved from behind the chair to pursue different paths within the same industry. While successful, the transitions never fulfilled the independence & creativity that dwells inside a burgeoning entrepreneur. She would find that only by creating her own work could she create the life she was seeking.
Before taking her seat at a jeweler's bench, Lauren crocheted winter hats and scarves, a skill she learned from watching instructional videos online. At first it was just in search of a hobby, but soon there was enough demand for bearded hats and doggy scarves that she sought to turn a profit. While living in the small city island of Alameda, she was inspired to take on metal-smithing. The idea of using a medium as rigid as metal and forming it to create light, airy jewelry captivated her imagination. It was a skill that ignited her creatively while also relentlessly testing her craftsmanship.
No journey would be complete without lessons along the way; lessons that strengthen the principles that define us. Along this particular journey, not only has Lauren sought to make jewelry that will connect you to a certain memory for a lifetime, she has sought to do so in a more conscious way. Her entire production process, from start to finish, is cruelty-free & absolutely no animal testing is associated with the jewelry you wear. Not only does she talk the talk, she walks it, as well. Lauren has lived a vegan lifestyle for eight years now, & so, it only makes sense that this principle would overlap into her work. Being sole proprietor of a business gives one the freedom to dictate the ethics of their company & that particular direction is an unwavering necessity for Lauren.
Sole proprietorship also gives one the benefit of picking out their co-workers, as well. Lauren's lieutenants are of the furry, four-footed, waggily tail nature. They may not be able to wield a flex shaft (although a rogue paw might inadvertently start one now and then) or create timeless quotes, but the dogs that call her studio home are as important to the process as any goldsmith's hammer. Lauren's studio has played a second act as a refuge for dogs down on their luck, where it has been home to now three rescue dogs, 2 of which have been seniors. Every year, the studio donates a portion of its earnings to local animal shelters who serve the most vulnerable within our city and region.
It should come as no surprise then, that when she isn't in the studio bending silver and gold to her will, her dog is busy bending her to his. Lauren has become a proficient local trail runner in the East Bay thanks to her four-legged friends. She's also an avid home cook. Using the same thirst for growth in the kitchen that she has in the studio, she has learned to adapt a variety of cooking styles to form a vegan-friendly menu at home. She and her husband can be found in their tiny kitchen formulating dishes from scratch on their weekends together.