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JewelryMclaine Richardson
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JewelrySpadix Pearl Button and Concha Earrings
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JewelryMorganite Flower Ring
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JewelryME Rings
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Showing all 6 results
Margaret Ellis Jewelry
Mclaine Richardson
Nashville,
TN
Medium:
Jewelry USN alumna ‘04
“My work is grounded in a 43-year design legacy and a lifelong study of art, sculpture, and form,” explains Mclaine Richardson, the designer/owner of Margaret Ellis Jewelry. “That foundation began at University School of Nashville, where I spent thirteen formative years, and was deepened through metalsmithing studies in Florence, Italy and later mentorship under Margaret Ellis.”
Mclaine creates handcrafted collectible art in sterling silver, bronze, and gold with ethically sourced stones and pearls, using traditional metalsmith techniques.
“I approach metalsmithing as a continuation of a disciplined studio tradition—where history, material, and handwork remain central. Each collection draws from the ME archive, fashion, art history, and architectural form, evolving classic techniques into timeless contemporary, wearable works of art with permanence and intention.”
Get to know Mclaine better:
What advice would you give to a young artist just starting out?
Stay curious and start before you feel ready. Most meaningful steps in my own path began with a simple yes—trying something unfamiliar, taking a class, saying yes to an opportunity without knowing exactly where it would lead. Creative work is built through accumulation, not certainty. You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need to keep making things and pay attention to what keeps pulling you back. Creative careers are built one step at a time, and sometimes the detours end up being the most important part of the journey.
How do you know when a piece is finished?
That's always the million dollar question. Every piece has its own path. Sometimes an idea comes together quickly. Others require time, adjustment, and distance. I often revisit work after it has been polished or nearly completed, refining details once I’ve lived with it a bit. A piece is finished when it feels balanced—when nothing needs to be added or taken away. It’s less about perfection and more about recognition that it has become what it was supposed to become. It's less of a formula and more of an instinct that develops over time.
Titles of works can be descriptive or clever or totally unrelated. What’s your favorite title of a piece you’ve named?
Naming pieces is one of my favorite parts of the process because it’s another way of telling a story. I’m always collecting words—borrowed from botany, geology, architecture, travel, and art history—that make you pause for a moment and wonder what they mean. I love that small shift when a name leads someone somewhere unexpected, often into a conversation about form or structure rather than jewelry itself. The Calla Collection came from time spent in Mexico, where I was studying natural forms and became drawn to the calla lily—its curve, restraint, and simplicity. The names—Del Val, Concha, Goblet, Convolute, Posy, Arum—reference both botanical structure and natural or architectural form. I like that they function as quiet clues rather than explanations. For me, the best names create curiosity. They slow you down just enough to look a little closer—which is exactly what I hope the work itself does.
