There's something about a piece of jewelry by Elizabeth Karas that captures the heart as well as the eye.

Says the jeweler herself, "Making jewelry is an emotional experience to me. It is a way I can express myself. When I'm designing, I am channeling experiences and emotions from my life directly into the final piece of jewelry."

Perhaps it that desire to transform the deeply personal into wearable, shareable aesthetic miniatures, that gives Elizabeth's work its unique style and allure.

Certainly, Elizabeth's work reflects her restless, generous, creative spirit and her keen eye for beauty. Born and raised in central Connecticut, Elizabeth earned a degree in Graphic Design from Central Connecticut State University before heading to the British Isles to study photography in England and coastal Ireland. Eventually she returned to the States and moved to New York City, where she immediately found work as an Art Director at a number of high-profile gigs, including Victoria's Secret and J. Crew. But she had begun experimenting with making jewelry in her spare time, and soon realized that she had found her perfect medium.

Reaction to her jewelry designs was overwhelmingly positive at local crafts shows, among friends & acquaintances and via online sales. It wasn't long before the siren call of metalsmithing won out over the more limited opportunities for creative expression to be found in the cubicle world. In 2007, Elizabeth left her fulltime job in order to study with the world-renowned jeweler, Kristin Hanson.

Elizabeth emerged armed with new techniques, new inspirations and a clearer vision of the future. Currently she resides in the East Village of New York and divides her time between Freelance Art Direction, Jewelry Design and day dreaming about traveling to distant places.