Shell-Bell Designs
Shell-Bell Designs are the work of jewelry artist Shellie Kahl and include sterling silver and 14K gold rings, bracelets, pins, pendants and earrings studded with colorful gemstones. An Amethyst may share a ring setting with White Topaz, three shades of Topaz; Sky Blue, Swiss and London stack on a cuff bracelet, Green Peridot accent a pair of long dramatic earrings and a deep blue-green opal form the center of a pendant.
Shellie's jewelry exhibits gems in many luscious hues but it is the metal texture caused by reticulation that sets her jewelry a part
Reticulation is a torch-created texture achieved by repeated heating and cooling of sterling silver sheet metal. During this process, the copper present in silver is burned away-leaving a lower inside temperature of metal sheet, allowing for melting the inner layer without breaking the surface tension. Amazing ripple-like textures are created on the surface, which is the "canvas" Shellie then hand-shapes and edges with sterling silver or 14K gold and sets with semi-precious stones.
"My jewelry is representative of the way I live my life…free spirited, passionate and uninhibited by the boundaries set by others. As with my life, there is an overall plan for each piece…but I’m not concerned with exact details of how to arrive at the finished product. I understand that goals can change, and I welcome the natural twists and turns that both life and my jewelry take as they arrive at the next finish line. I learned along the way that I wasn’t molded in the same fashion as most and am happy to present an art form that is as non-traditional as myself. The untamable texture in my jewelry is akin to the trials and tribulations of my life…which are exactly what gives it the unmistakable personality and beauty that is truly mine.
My jewelry is a gift I share with those that are searching for something different in themselves. By wearing it, I hope that it makes them feel like stepping outside the box more often and listening to what;'s truly inside their heart. In the end, life is too short to spend doing anything other than living your dream with passion"
Shellie Kahl