Holly Whaley, Designer/Goldsmith

Holly’s work in design has spanned decades. Her passion for jewelry began as a young child in the 1960’s when she would accompany her grandmother to San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury to hunt for antique and collectible beads.  These adventures immersed her into the bohemian culture of the Summer of Love, and the requisite creation of copper jewelry, and maybe a roach clip or two. Ah, the 1960’s!

Holly’s love for design and creating didn’t end with bead collecting. After earning a degree in Costume Design from the University of California, San Diego in the late 1970’s she worked in Europe and Los Angeles, where she briefly designed textiles for a well-known designer on Rodeo Drive.

Gypsy spirit in full gear, Holly returned to San Francisco and a career as a television producer, earning her an Emmy Award.  In the mid 1990’s a move to the mountains of New Mexico  and trips to southern Spain introduced Holly to the magic and mysticism of Catholic iconography, pattern, and texture found in the architecture and statuary of old churches, moving her to create custom altars in wood, clay, and metal, as well as religious inspired antique jewelry. She is especially drawn to detailed patterns of florals, paisleys and crosses and is heavily influenced by jewelry design from the 15th and 16th century.

Holly’s passion for antique jewelry and ancient pattern and cultivating how it translates into high karat metal for a modern take on the old is the driving force behind the signature pieces in the hjwhaley jewelry collection.  

Jay Whaley, Master Goldsmith

Working professionally as a goldsmith for more than 50 years Jay’s innate ability to marry the complexities of  metalsmithing with the architecture of jewelry design allow him to create  premier jewelry for clients around the world as well as provide his expertise to students who study with him today. 

His passion for metalsmithing began when his mother suggested he take an art class as an elective in High School.  He did so and designed and produced two silver rings, one for his mother and one for his father. He was encouraged to submit his rings to a juried National show for high school students where he earned semi-finalist honors.  It’s been a love story in metal ever since.

Jay’s work as fine artist, sculptor, and goldsmith has taken him from Arizona to Hawaii to China and California.  After settling in San Diego, Jay developed the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Craft Center Jewelry Program.  Under Jay’s supervision the program ran successfully for 24 years and nurtured the skills of many professional metalsmiths.  Many of whom are still part of his working studio.

While teaching metalsmithing at UCSD, Jay was producing fine art and sculpture and showing his pieces nationally. His love of sculpture and architecture along with the joy of exploring how things work led him to look outside the box at his ‘tools of the trade”.  This introspective look at the jewelry trade eventually compelled him to improve, invent and patent tools for jewelers that revolutionized the industry. He holds patents for the Whaley Ring Gauge, Whaley Ring Clamp with Round Peg, and the Whaley Sliding Hammer, among a myriad of other tools.

Jay’s breadth of knowledge and technical skills surrounding metalsmithing, and his passion for design and fabrication are the backbone of hjwhaley jewelry.