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Meet the Capitol Hill Artist is an occasional series on CHS documenting the lives of the artists behind the neighborhood’s galleries and arts venues.
By Ananya Mishra
When I arrived at Nina Raizel’s studio, I was surprised by how much her workspace reminded me of a science lab. I saw laser welders, a variety of chemicals, and one of the largest microscopes that I had seen in a while. Handmade jewelry requires a lot of intricacy.
Nina graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing. Now as a self-employed jeweler, she makes custom pieces, repairs broken jewelry, and does contract work for other organizations. It’s also important for her to be involved in the local community. She’s a volunteer at the Seattle Metals Guild and is a member of the Six of Pikes artist collective in Capitol Hill.
“I look through my microscope for 8 hours a day,” said Nina. Her Leica microscope has a magnification power of 30x.
I watched Nina create earring mountings, polish them in a magnetic pin tumbler, and set a gemstone inside the mountings. The pair of earrings were done within an hour. She loves making all types of pieces, but is especially interested in giving old jewelry new life through her repair work. This can range from fixing a ring that used to belong to a customer’s grandmother, to redesigning antique necklaces into something that looks more modern.
“Handcrafted jewelry is so much more special than mass produced jewelry. You get a product that’s unlike anything in the world,” said Nina. She said that it is also more ethical to buy from someone who is working independently.
To learn more about Nina Raizel, visit her website or her Instagram. Six of Pikes is open during the Capitol Hill Art Walk and is located at 1100 E Pike.
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