Elisa Gilbert: From Litigator to Jeweler

Drawing inspiration from nature and her family history of goldsmithing, silversmithing and watchmaking, Elisa Gilbert left a 30-year career as a litigating attorney to continue her family’s legacy of art, officially launching Vivienne Charles Handcrafted Fine Jewelry, the first names of her parents combined, a year ago. However, she had been working on the line since 2019, when her father passed away. The first collection, Birds, Bees and Things From the Sea, launched in April and a few of the pieces are showcased in “An Ode to Spring: Celebrating Nature’s Renewal”, a mixed-media exhibition at Lapin Contemporary Gallery, in North Adams, Massachusetts now through June 15.

“People live for their art,” observes Gilbert, who is the fourth generation of her family to be in the jewelry business. “I am honored to be part of the art community. To participate in a show with other artists is a huge honor and I’m completely delighted to be part of it.”

A Family Affair

Gilbert has been around jewelry her entire life and she gained insight into creating jewelry as a young child spending time with her dad. “I’ve been learning about jewelry making since I was in elementary school. I learned from my dad,” recalls Gilbert, who attended Cornell University and Fordham law school. She also attended New York City’s School of Visual Arts (SVA) “Often, when I’m working on a piece I try to remember how my dad did something. I’ll find a crossroad on how to do something and then I see the solution. It’s satisfying to know that I’m walking in the same path as my father.”

Birds and Bees

Gilbert is fascinated by the natural world and its many wonders, so much so that she’s a beekeeper, so it’s fitting that the first collection in her line, is Bees, Birds and Things From the Sea. The collection is filled with charming bejeweled crickets, bees and frogs. “I wanted to create a collection that feels like a jeweled manifestation of nature’s whispers, each piece a memory of something ephemeral yet eternal. These designs are meant to capture the enchantment of the natural world in wearable form,” explains Gilbert, who draws upon the design of a honeycomb for her Honeyed Hive Hoop earrings.

A bench jeweler, Gilbert finds that the skill helps her with the design and production of her jewelry pieces. “It helps to know how something is supposed to be done and I can also find new ways of doing things so I can achieve more. I listen to everyone and I listen to no one and then I pick what I need.”

New Launches

Going forward Gilbert will be debuting four other collections as her line launches, including one with a zodiac theme and another which draws upon laurel leaves for inspiration. “I love it when people want to enjoy art and jewelry,” concludes Gilbert. “They realize that jewelry can be a real expression of the self. Something that you keep forever, that your kids and grandkids will want. Jewelry transports you and makes you feel really special.”

By Amber Michelle