Enjoy a unique twist
on Baroque and Victorian inspiration.
Jill Kathleen Designs are bold and unique, yet feminine. She makes all her contemporary pieces from ethically soured materials such as Fairmined gold, recycled silver, and fair trade gems.
About Jill Kathleen Designs
Jill is inspired by crochet and lace patterns, as she loves the historical decoration of the Baroque and Victorian eras. She captures the sentiments of this inspiration, yet translates them in unique, contemporary, and understated creations.
Jill designs each piece by hand with ethically sourced materials such as Fairmined gold, recycled silver, and fair trade or U.S.- mined gems. She also uses traditional metalsmithing techniques like fabrication, casting, and enameling. Jill often chooses a matte finish and leaves hammer marks as visible attributes in her work.
Learn more about Jill.
Jill is originally from the Chicago area and has been making jewelry since she was a child. After 11 years of teaching, she left her full-time academic position at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey to live closer to family and pursue her dreams of starting her own jewelry collection. With a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and an MFA from Arizona State University, Jill's work is the result of years of technical training, experience, knowledge of art history, contemporary art, and craft.
In addition to her fine jewelry collection, Jill has exhibited her one-of-a-kind studio jewelry and sculpture nationwide as Jill Baker Gower. This work has been published in Metalsmith (magazine) and Cast (book). Jill also has permanent collections in The Metal Museum, The Enamel Arts Foundation, and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. In 2015, she received an Individual Artist Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Jill also served on the Board of Directors for the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) from 2016 to 2019.
Jill currently resides and has a studio near Madison. When she isn't creating jewelry and metalwork, or teaching others to create jewelry and metalwork, Jill enjoys riding her Trek road bike all over Wisconsin. She also loves spending time with her husband, two young boys, dog, and two cats. And occasionally, Jill enjoys sleeping!