Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, Callie’s love of jewelry making began in high school where she learned techniques such as lost wax casting, fabrication, and cloisonné. Callie knew right away that she had a passion for jewelry making. She continued her studies at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, focusing on forged pieces and nurturing a love of organic textures and shapes. After college she worked as a flight attendant, but always dreamed of starting her own jewelry business.

Callie took fate into her own hands after being laid off from the airlines. She learned to work with a new material called Precious Metal Clay, and found that it was the perfect medium for her sculptural designs. It allowed her to use her forging design sense and interest in texture in an exciting new way!

Precious Metal Clay (or PMC) is a revolutionary material that is made up of microscopic pieces of silver that are combined with an organic binder to give the silver a clay-like consistency. The clay is formed by hand and fired in a kiln at a high temperature. In the kiln the silver particles fuse together and the binder burns away completely. After firing, the pieces emerge as 99.9% pure silver (also called Fine Silver).

Texture and motion are key elements in Callie’s designs. The subtle texture of the silver clay gives her jewelry an organic feel. Pieces with more than one shape are drilled and wired together so that each shape can move individually. This motion gives life to each piece as it is worn. Callie grinds every piece with stone to give it a shimmering matte finish that is distinctive to her work.

Thank you so much for your interest in Callie Seymour Designs!

Cleaning Your Jewelry

To clean your jewelry, brush it with a toothbrush and toothpaste or baking soda. This will maintain the unique finish of your piece and allow the toothbrush bristles to clean the textured areas. Be careful to support the connecting wires as you are brushing so the wires do not bend.

Chains, ear wires, and connecting wires may be cleaned with a silver polishing cloth. Do not use a polishing cloth on the actual pieces, as this will change the finish from a matte look to a shiny silver look. Use of silver polish or cleaning fluids is not recommended.