About

Penumbra Jewelry

Every piece in the Penumbra Jewelry collection is handmade by Shari Sullivan in her studio on the central coast of California. Her love of travel and study of art history shows in the design of the pieces. A lifelong resident of the Pacific coast  - most of that time in California - adds a California aesthetic to her work. Most pieces are comfortable for daily wear, with a few show stoppers fit for special occasions.

Penumbra Jewelry's commitment to sustainability guides all materials and business decisions - from using recycled shipping materials to choosing the least toxic and most environmentally sensitive materials, tools, gems and metals. 

Shari Sullivan

Classically trained as both painter and metalsmith, Shari's artistic background stretches back decades. and across media forms.

She's a proud graduate of the jewelry and small metals at Humboldt State University. Under the guidance of David LaPlantz and visiting artists, she leaned innovative techniques like anodizing aluminum alongside traditional ones like lost wax casting and fabrication. David, and his wife, Shereen, a fiber and book artist, both became lifelong mentors and friends.

Since then, Shari has continued to expand and refine her skills - at her bench, at workshops and most recently with a master goldsmith in Florence, Italy (as shown in this photo). She's currently furthering her understanding of gemology at the Gemological Institute of America. 

Why "Penumbra"?

The idea came from a visit to a fragrance store in Florence where Shari fell in love with a perfume of the same name. An enigmatic combination of amber, coriander and bitter cocoa, the scent seemed perfectly named.

The word, "penumbra," is similarly difficult to define. It's often used to describe the transitional area between the complete shadow of an eclipse and full light - an area that includes two opposing states - or an indefinite area as in a "penumbra of secrecy." In legal terminology, "penumbra" is a term for a right which is implicit but not explicitly defined in the U.S. Constitution or Bill of Rights. 

Penumbra, and its cryptic ability to hold meanings that aren't obvious or may be contradictory, reflect Shari's unconventional path to metalsmithing and jewelry making - through, and incorporating ,many different mediums  - and her integration of ideas, techniques and designs that often aren't part of the jewelry making tradition.