About Wesley

Making art and sharing it with others is Wesley’s calling

Favorite inspirational quotes and family photos surround jeweler Wesley Barrow as she creates one-ofa-kind pieces—casually elegant necklaces, flash-of-color dangling earrings, and strength-bearinggemstone bracelets.

Destined to be a jeweler, Wesley learned artisan skills from her mother and taught herself how to wirewrap at an early age. During a career-affirming fourth-grade internship with a bench jeweler, Wesley learned how to do lost wax casting. Wesley’s passion for vintage glass beads began when she inherited her great-grandmother’s costume jewelry collection. She took the dense bead strands a part, reconfiguring fashions of a by gone era into art that reflected her then boldly romantic sensibilities. Over the years, Wesley’s work has transitioned into a simpler elegance as she combines precious metals and gemstones.

Wesley’s affinity for deconstructing unwanted jewelry and transforming it into cherished wearable art preserves what made the original piece special, such as highlighting its antique glass beads. Clients present her with an outfit or idea for creating custom jewelry from family pieces. Wesley’s ability to design something new from sentimental heirlooms gives new life to the beads and gemstones. Her work allows clients to wear and enjoy a piece of family history in a new way. Working with gemstones and artifacts of nature like woolly mammoth ivory and puka shells intriguesand challenges Wesley. She hand wraps these earthy mementos with silver, gold-filled, or 18-carat goldwire. Her designs are driven by color and often incorporate contrasting colors for a visual pop.

Making art and sharing it with others is Wesley’s calling. She thrives when expressing herself creatively and always encourages others to express themselves in artistic ways. When she’s not in her studio designing jewelry, Wesley enjoys teaching art to children or organizing art events with the Portola Valley Cultural Arts Committee.