People often ask me what a typical day looks like in the Ruby Acorn studio. The honest answer? No two days are exactly alike — and that's exactly how I like it. But there is a rhythm, a ritual, a way the day unfolds that feels deeply mine.
Morning: Coffee & Creativity
My day starts early, usually before the Colorado sun has fully risen over the mountains. Coffee in hand, I sit with my sketchbook and let ideas come. Sometimes it's a new design inspired by something I saw on a walk — the curve of a leaf, the color of a stone in a creek bed, the way light hits a spider's web. Nature is my greatest design partner.
Mid-Morning: At the Bench
This is where the magic happens. My workbench is covered in the tools of my trade — pliers, wire cutters, mandrels, and trays of gemstones sorted by color and type. I've been handcrafting jewelry since 2006, and I still feel that same thrill when a piece starts to come together. Each one is a small puzzle: which stone, which metal, which texture, which length?
I work with natural gemstones, sterling silver, artisan lampwork beads, and ancient Roman glass — materials that carry their own stories. My hands know them well by now.
Afternoon: Photography & Listings
Once a piece is finished, it gets photographed. Good light is everything — I chase the afternoon sun around my studio like it owes me something. Then comes the writing: each product description is a small story, because I believe the person wearing the piece deserves to know where it came from and what it means.
Evening: Packing & Gratitude
Orders get packed with care — tissue paper, a handwritten note, a little something extra when I can manage it. Sending a piece out into the world never gets old. Somewhere out there, someone is about to open a little box and find something beautiful made just for them.
Why I Do This
I started Ruby Acorn because I believe handmade things matter. In a world of fast fashion and mass production, there is something quietly radical about choosing a piece that took hours to make, that no one else in the world has, that was made by human hands with intention and love.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Every order means the world to me.
— Martha, founder of Ruby Acorn