About

“There's something richly satisfying about making art with which people interact. You can use it and you can touch it and it can be part of your life...." - Melanie

Melanie Brauner is a jeweler and papermaker and the creative mind behind VERSO jewelry which is handmade in her studio in Seattle, Washington. Her designs are made from metal forms cast in handmade paper. The metal is dipped into a pulp of water and finely beaten paper fibers from a plant called abaca. The fibers cling to the metal and shrink as they dry. A tight, translucent paper skin is built up on the form over successive dips. The concept is the same as making a sheet of handmade paper, but around a three-dimensional form, and by building up thin layers over the course of several days.

After a translucent layer of paper has built up, the forms are hand-dyed, and finally heavily sealed to make them water resistant and durable.

The pieces are inspired by the sinuous lines of art nouveau and rococo design, and details found in nature, like seeds, petals, dewdrops, flowers, the curves of a river, ferns, the night sky, leaves, spider webs.....

Since each piece of paper jewelry is handmade and unique, variations will occur from piece to piece.

Melanie’s extraordinary work is featured in the Summer 2018 issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry, and her beautiful Cherry Blossom earrings graced the cover of the magazine.