Local jewelry line idle hands designs serves up silver with attitude

West Seattle-based jewelry designer Lyndsay Brown likes to wear romantic, vintage dresses with industrial pieces like heavy boots. She expresses her personal style, which she describes as "softness with an edge," in each piece of beautiful, commanding jewelry she makes for her line, idle hands designs.  

Brown, who began designing locally in 2006 after studying silversmithing at California's Saddleback College, creates bold rings ($60-$110), necklaces ($50-$145), and earrings ($30-$60) that often incorporate semiprecious stones or vintage elements. Brown named her business after a gritty, hard-rocking song by local band Murder City Devils, and incorporates the raw intensity of that track into her handcrafted sterling silver, resin and bronze designs.

Brown's rings are eye-catching and meticulously designed; it's clear they're Brown's favorite pieces to create. Many rings feature oversized vintage buttons which Brown sources directly from the Czech Republic to add a soft, vintage element to her handmade silver settings. Brown guarantees that each ring is a standout, sturdy piece that her clients can wear for years to come, and she tests the quality and durability of each vintage button before building the setting to perfectly fit button irregularities. She ensures that each ring will sit easily on a finger even if the piece reaches over an inch in diameter, like her mesmerizing Starry Night ring ($110) does. "I like my rings to be very comfortable," Brown says.

Brown runs her business with a strong sense of environmental awareness. She works with companies that supply recycled and refined silver before resorting to mined silver and she uses as few chemicals as possible when creating her jewelry.

Though Brown is often inspired by dark and sinister muses, she has been known to design with a strong sense of whimsy. Her hand-forged, sterling silver Belini earrings ($30), which look like little moustaches with a dark patina, were inspired by her father's "Selleck" moustache and convey a healthy appreciation for inanity. Similarly, Brown's industrial Destructicorn earrings ($25), which look like a unicorn's horn, were inspired by a tongue-in-cheek toy from local party supply palace Archie McPhee. Both designs have received such a positive response that Brown is currently rolling out a moustache ring ($48) and a mismatched pair of earrings: Destructicorn vs. lightning bolt.

Selections from Brown's line along with one-of-a-kind designs are available locally at Fancy, Velouria, Blue Bottle and Twilight, as well as online. Brown loves collaborating, especially with heirloom, vintage elements; if you're interested in commissioning custom work she can be contacted through her newly designed Web site.

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