Handcrafted Jewelry | Handmade Jewelry Blog by Jewelry Designer John S Brana

STUDIO333 Fine Art Gallery features Handcrafted Fine Jewelry by John S. Brana at “My Bloody Valentine” Love Hurts Event

February 2, 2009 By John S. Brana 2 Comments

Studio 333 Sausalito California - My Blody Vaentine

February 13, 2009 – Studio 333 Fine Art Gallery, Sausalito, CA – "My Bloody Valentine – Love Hurts Event" – 8:00pm to 12:00am – 333A Caledonia Street. Over 200 guests will shop from 30 jewelry and fashion designers. Dancing, free champagne, and DJ P-DUB will provide the bloody fun! Tickets can be purchased in advanced at www.studio333.info – $20 Advance / $25 Door.

Who Knew Handcrafted Jewelry Could Be So…Interactive?

January 15, 2009 By John S. Brana 6 Comments

Always an innovator, John S. Brana launched three new websites this month and even gave a sleek new face lift to his home site, www.johnsbrana.com. Each new site targets a specific customer based on their desire for gold, silver, or copper jewelry and features search and comparison features unparalleled to any handcrafted artisan in the industry. See for yourself at www.handcrafted-gold-jewelry.com, www.handmade-silver-jewelry.com, and www.handmadecopperjewelry.com .

Jewelry buyers may now perform side-by-side comparisons on any number of their favorite pieces to determine just the right style, texture, gemstone, size and price. Visitors may participate in a live community poll to tell the designer specific preferences such as their favorite gemstone, karat or quality of gold, and type of earring they prefer. Those with the most discerning tastes can find exactly what they are looking for by narrowing their search, and if you just can’t decide, customers can add their favorite items to a wish list and be notified if those items go on sale through various RSS Feeds.

"After seeing the fashion and jewelry industries suffer this holiday season, I decided I would make it easier for customers seeking handcrafted fine jewelry to find me," says Brana of his business strategies. "And when they do find me, I want to be sure I’m giving them the styles they want." Brana is known for his handcrafted jewelry designs inspired by the landscapes of San Francisco and has been consistently experimenting with new textures, such as embossing, or adding new layers to his metallic collection of "SOMA" jewelry. New styles are available online now.

For more information and to view all jewelry styles please visit:

For more information and media requests regarding John S. Brana – Distinctive Jewelry, please contact Karri Ann Frerichs at 402.490.2579 or karriann@altitudepromotion.com.

Scarf Rings – New Product Release by John S. Brana Fine Handcrafted Jewelry

November 24, 2008 By John S. Brana 3 Comments

Sometimes I’m amazed at how events develop. Late last month, I was having lunch with an old friend/co-worker from my corporate days at Charles Schwab. He mentioned to me how his wife was going on about scarf rings for Christmas gifts. She had just returned from Europe where they were all the rage…something I had really never thought about designing. Within the next week, I had a joint gallery opening with abstract photographer and silk wear designer Klaus Lange at The ArtPeople Gallery here in San Francisco. So I put two and two together, and knocked out some scarf rings to accompany Klaus’ silk scarves. The artists reception was on Nov 6^th, and the scarf rings were a home run! Not bad for a 10 day turnaround.

Below are pictures of my two current scarf ring designs in Copper and Sterling Silver, along with some of the exhibition photos. Over the next few months, I’ll be working on more designs in Vermeil and Bronze, so stay tuned….

Chased Copper Scarf Ring - John S. Brana - Fine Handcrafted Jewelry

Chased Copper Scarf Ring

Red Wheat Silk Chiffon Scarf by Klaus Lange

Chased Sterling Silver Scarf Ring

Surfer Dude Chiffon Scarf by Klaus Lange

The ArtPeople Gallery - John S Brana - Handcrafted Fine Jewelry Wall Installation

John S Brana - Handcrafted Art Jewelry - Opening Night - The ArtPeople Gallery

John S. Brana - The ArtPeople Gallery - Opening Night

Gentry Magazine – South Bay – features Barbary Coast Carnelian Necklace by John S. Brana

November 22, 2008 By John S. Brana 1 Comment

Gentry Magazine - SouthBay - November 2008 - Features Carnelian Barbary Coast Necklace by Jewelry Designer John S. Brana - Page 68.

John S. Brana’s Barbary Coast Carnelian Necklace is featured on page 68 of the November 2008 issue along with other fine jewelry by Thalia Jewelry, Stephen Webster, DeBeers, and Bulgari.

A BRANA BEAUTY Wearing John S. Brana’s Carnelian necklace ($1,285) to that next luncheon will get everyone talking—in a good way. Further enhanced by gold freshwater pearls and gold vermeil beads. this striking necklace adds elegance to a black V-neck wrap dress or a white cashmere turtleneck with black wool pants.

Barbary Coast Carnelian Necklace by San Francisco Jewelry Designer John S. Brana

Gentry can be found at various locations throughout the San Francisco Peninsula and South Bay – from Hillsborough to Los Altos, and Cupertino Hills to the Almaden Valley. Click here to find out more about Gentry.

Smythe & Cross – Purveyors of Precious Jewelry Features Selected Handcrafted Fine Jewelry by John S. Brana

November 11, 2008 By John S. Brana 2 Comments

Smythe & Cross

December 3, 2008 - Smythe & Cross – Purveyors of Precious Jewelry, Burlingame, CA, will be hosting a grand opening and open house from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. at their Burlingame headquarters. Preview collections of fine and diamond jewelry, along with selected pieces of handcrafted fine jewelry by John S. Brana. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. RSVP required. Contact Altitude Promotions for more information.

14K Gold Chased Anticlastic Cuff

SoMa Collection – 14K Chased Anticlastic Gold Cuff

14K Gold and Fine Silver Tear Drop Filigree Earrings

Nob Hill Collection – 14K Gold and Fine Silver Tear Drop Filigree Earrings

The Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences hosts John S. Brana – Distinctive Jewelry

November 7, 2008 By John S. Brana Leave a Comment

The Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences, San Francisco cordially invites you to our

Private Members’ Reception

12^th Floor Member’s Lounge

November 13, 2008

5:30pm to 7:00pm

Welcome jewelry designer John S. Brana

and silk wear designer Klaus Lange

for an exclusive trunk show

Enjoy wines from Jessup Cellars

RSVP Required. For more information, contact Altitude Promotions

Handcrafted Fine Jewelry by John S. Brana Accessorizes “Hatwalk 2008″ – Video

October 31, 2008 By John S. Brana 1 Comment

The Asian American Cancer Support Network, www.aacsn.org, hosted its fourth annual fundraising gala, Hatwalk 2008 to raise money and awareness to fight the effects of cancer on communities of Asian ethnicities. The focus of the 2008 show was on the Filipino community. "Hatwalk celebrates the value of hats and the comfort they bring to individuals undergoing cancer treatments. Guests enjoyed a three-course dinner, silent auction, and fashion show, concluding with a runway finale featuring cancer survivors adorning pink hats in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. John S. Brana, a San Francisco-based handcrafted jewelry designer, was proud to accessorize these brave women with his bold, wearable art jewelry designs as they strutted down the runway. Styling by Karri Ann Frerichs – Altitude Promotions

John S. Brana – Handcrafted Fine Jewelry to Accessorize Cancer Survivors in “Hatwalk 2008″ Fashion Show

October 8, 2008 By John S. Brana 4 Comments

The Asian American Cancer Support Network, www.aacsn.org, is proud to host its fourth annual fundraising gala, “Hatwalk 2008” to raise money and awareness to fight the effects of cancer on communities of Asian ethnicities. This year, the focus will be on the Filipino community. The event takes place Saturday, November 1, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Burlingame, 1333 Bayshore Highway, Burlingame, CA.

“Hatwalk” celebrates the value of hats and the comfort they bring to individuals undergoing cancer treatments. Guests will enjoy a three-course dinner, silent auction and fashion show, concluding with a runway finale featuring cancer survivors adorning pink hats in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. John S. Brana, a San Francisco-based handcrafted jewelry designer, is proud to accessorize these brave women with his bold, wearable art jewelry designs as they strut down the runway.

“I wanted to be apart of this show because I understand the importance of cancer awareness and how it affects so many of us,” said the designer who’s jewelry will embellish the evening wear ensembles of up to 17 cancer survivors. John S. Brana’s jewelry designs may also be seen at a trunk show and artist collaboration taking place the following week, Thursday, November 6, 4p.m. to 7p.m. at Art People Gallery in the Crocker Galleria, San Francisco.

To reserve tickets to “Hatwalk,” please visit www.aacsn.org and click on the “Purchase Tickets” link.
To view Brana’s entire collection of San Francisco-inspired handcrafted jewelry, visit www.johnsbrana.com.
For information and media requests, please contact Karri Ann Frerichs at karriann@altitudepromotion.com or 402.490.2579.

Fine Handcrafted Jewelry…from the Hands of an Innovative New Designer

September 8, 2008 By John S. Brana 11 Comments

New work in fine jewelry by the otherwise bridge category designer, John S. Brana – Distinctive Jewelry, proved favorable to the crowd at the Designers by the Bay event held at Shreve & Co. August 21. This newcomer to the list of 20 established fine jewelry exhibitors showcased stunning textured cuffs, sculpted earrings and intricate filigree scrollwork in 18K and 14K gold and fine silver with gemstones. Perhaps his most beautiful new design is a pair of spiraling 14K gold fold formed leaf earrings encasing strands of 13.5carat faceted peridots which, as so many good design ideas occur, happened by accident.

“I was drilling holes for the earwires using a drill press and instead of turning it off, I accidentally increased its speed and the metal just started flailing and spiraling around the drill bit!” described Brana who created over ten new designs for the event. “When I finally got it to turn off, it had formed this twisted fan shape and I thought, ‘that’s pretty cool… now how do I do that again?’” Thankfully, he was able to recreate the shape as it is now available with several gemstone varieties at a suggested retail of $880. Equally as stunning is a pair of 18K Gold and Fine Silver Filigree earrings.

Just as Brana is entering the upper crust of fine jewelry, he continues to develop his lines of bridge category designs inspired by the city in which he creates them, San Francisco. Among the most commented upon and tried on piece of his collection for the event was his anticlastic copper cuffs. “Copper is one of my favorite metals. It showcases amazing texture and its rich, rose gold color is so beautiful on so many people,” said Brana who handcrafts original jewelry designs ranging from $65-$4000. In the coming months look for new collections including Muir Woods featuring earthy, forest themes, and an artistic collaboration with a German-born chef at sea who captures the images of sea-worn ships in abstract photography and wearable silk art. To view each of his collections, visit www.johnsbrana.com. For wholesale and media inquiries, contact Karri Ann Frerichs, Altitude Promotions at karriann@altitudepromotion.com or 402.490.2579.

**New Jewelry – SoMa Collection**

Jewellery World Review – San Francisco-based designer, John S. Brana, introduces the Nob Hill Collection

August 5, 2008 By John S. Brana 1 Comment

Introducing The Nob Hill Filigree Jewelry Collection by San Francisco-based designer, John S. Brana

John S. Brana – Distinctive Jewelry has added an eighth collection of one-of-a-kind filigree earrings to his diverse line of San Francisco-inspired wearable art jewelry. This collection features his most open, airy and delicate wirework designs yet available. The Nob Hill Collection inspires the re-appreciation for the nostalgic architecture of those Victorian-era neighborhoods built around the turn of twentieth century.

“That was a time when we didn’t have to remind ourselves to stop and smell the roses,” Brana described in his San Francisco studio located in the West Portal neighborhood overlooking the Pacific Ocean. “We appreciated craftsmanship and weren’t distracted by technology.”

With this in mind, Brana sought to capture the elaborate scrolls and turbulent twists of the grill work on entrance gates that dot the neighborly streets of San Francisco’s famous Nob Hill. After twisting three tiny pure silver or 14 karat gold wires, he sculpts the inner tendrils into a paired perfection. No two sets are exactly the same. Each design is then encased by a sturdy barrier of flat or half-round sterling silver or 14 karat gold. Dangling a pair from you ears is a delicate daily reminder that if you can’t stop to smell the roses, you can at least take them with you.

"That demonstrated to me that what makes me happy is to help people celebrate special moments in their life through my wearable art jewelry rather than pursuing a cold corporate agenda like I was doing at Schwab," John said.

The Nob Hill Collection is the latest addition to Brana’s line of limited-edition jewelry and wearable art collections each as different as their San Francisco neighborhood namesakes. Just as each city block of this unique American city tells a unique story and every turn tempts a new adventure, Brana’s handcrafted jewelry is also sure to leave a lasting impression.