aquabeet...huh, Amy Volchok Handmade Jewelry!!!

Amy Volchok is aquabeet (all lowercase) known for making sterling silver jewelry cuff bracelets with custom inscriptions. She makes what I call the original 4-sided skinny cuff which is custom printed on all four sides and can be stacked with any of her cuffs. It is her favorite piece. She also makes copper ornaments. aquabeet is a one woman business.

I think that most people wonder how she came up with the name. Amy says, “This is by far the most frequently asked question. There was a Scrabble game on night back in ’95 or so. My mother (who won the 1st and only Scrabble tournament she ever played in) had these letters ‘AQUBEET’ Somehow I saw them, mentally put the extra A in & it immediately struck me as a curious compound word and provocative visual image. My kids were young then, so all I had a chance to do was make a note and drawing of it in my sketchbook. I’d come across that blurb every now and then and when those very same youngsters got a little older, I decided to start working in sterling silver. I pulled out my idea, gave it a makeover and “aquabeet” as we know it today was hatched.”

Amy is a true artist and has many, many, many talents in a wide range of media. She says, “I have been an artist as long as I can remember. I have worked in many different media such as paper-mache, painted furniture and quilt making. I still do all of those things as well as design & construct greeting cards and produce graphic art. A few years ago after working in graphic design for many years, I decided that I wanted to try something new and began researching jewelry making. Wholly self-taught, I now produce mostly bracelets & earrings. The orders often come with stories about the recipient and it's fun to hear other people's tales.
All pieces are made of sterling silver, individually by hand, by me. First they are cut from a piece of sterling silver sheet or wire. Then I hammer, stamp, sand and oxidize. No two are exactly alike. Occasional dings and marks are an inherent part of the process and are not to be considered unwelcome. Each piece comes with a story/info card inside a satin pouch that she made. And always remember…...ART IS ESSENTIAL!”

Being an artist often brings some amazing, interesting and funny stories. Amy says that people would be amazed “that when there is a character limit of 30 for a bracelet, people send me 65.” Also, “If I had met one of my retailers a few weeks earlier than I did, she would have asked me to make 200 bracelets for Stevie Wonder's birthday party!.” Gosh, what a missed opportunity.

Amy seems to absolutely love her work. She likes that she can sleep in late, but it can sometimes make you feel like a hermit. She also wanted people to know that “I always give my customers the best possible service. Working with them & coming up with a great piece is what I love to do. I think I have the best job in the world!” When asked about her hopes & dreams for her business she replied, “To always have my inbox always brimming.” So, I wonder if that means we can all send her useless email, just to fill it. I think that she would be a little ticked off if you followed my joke, so don’t do it. She just might double the price for me.

Personally, I put her on my blog because I first ordered three custom stacking skinny bracelets with inscriptions on the outside and on the inside. I was really impressed with the quality of the bracelets (comfort, weight, feel, look and the lettering was outstanding). I have received a ton of compliments and started to hand out business cards. I was hooked on her jewelry since then I have purchased more than six items including a custom 4-sided skinny, earrings, copper ornaments, and a men’s cuff. (Note: I am unable to count past six.) Everything is of excellent quality and she is really easy to work with and it comes with great customer service. She really works hard to please the customer and their satisfaction is very important. It seems very difficult to customize a jewelry piece via email. She has the unique talent of being able to communicate effectively via email. I personally believe that in customized jewelry that no one can beat her quality. (But, that is my opinion and I did a lot of research.)

Amy also donates to charity with her peace cuffs. Please visit http://www.beplus1.com/ for more information. She also sells wholesale and will do custom orders. Amy, thank you for being my first attempt at making a Featured Artist Post. I only wish that we could have done this in person, but we are at opposite ends of the country.

See more of Amy's work by viewing the slide show at the upper right side of this page. Please visit aquabeet and purchase Amy Volchok's outstanding jewelry. She can be found via the following methods:

email: aqua.beet@yahoo.com
http://www.aquabeet.com
http://www.aquabeet.blogspot.com
http://www.aquabeet.etsy.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aquabeet

(Post written from material taken off all of the above sites and from an email questionnaire.)