Beginning on Cazenovia Ladies Night Out – Nov. 21 – and throughout the holiday season, Cazenovia Jewelry will feature the work of three local jewelers: Michelle DaRin, Mary Beth Fiorentino and Leah Coe.
Michelle DaRin Jewelry’s style is best described as bohemian, bold, edgy, and eclectic. DaRin’s designs are inspired by her love of color and nature. She uses a variety of materials including forged and enameled copper, caste silver, resin, bronze, feathers, leather and gemstones.
DaRin received her bachelor’s degree in sculpture from SUNY Cortland. She went on to pursue her fine arts master’s degree in metalsmithing from Syracuse University and combines her love of sculpture into wearable art jewelry.
DaRin’s work has been featured in various magazines including W, Bridal Guide, Where Women Create, Tango, Syracuse Women’s
Magazine, The Post Standard, as well as on NBC Today Show, Bridge Street, and Daily Candy. Her work is constantly evolving and reflects her passion for art, life and the creative process. Her studio is located in a vintage 1964 Airstream Trailer on her seven acres of inspiration with her family, two dogs, and a cat.
Fiorentino holds a fine arts bachelor’s degree in graphic design from the SUNY Fredonia. She began her career in San Francisco as a graphic designer for Levi Strauss & Co. and later as a children’s book designer for Chronicle Books, a forward-thinking publishing company that focused on California culture and the arts.
It was in San Francisco where Fiorentino discovered her passion for creating handmade jewelry. She started working Saturdays making books at a custom bookbindery and began to teach classes in letterpress printing and hand sewn books at SF Center for the Book, a local non-profit organization.
Eventually, she started her own design and letterpress company which she maintained for 12 years. Still, she thought about handmade jewelry and longed for the day when she could actually learn to make it.
During the summer of 2006, she decided to move back to New York with a drive across the country. During a stop over in Santa Fe, she walked into her first contemporary jewelry gallery and walked out with pieces on her ears, wrist and finger. By autumn of that same year she completed the first two items on her agenda: get a puppy and enroll in jewelry classes at PrattMWP. It took 10 years, but she finally got the courage to apply to MFA programs in the hopes of transitioning her career from design to jewelry.
In the fall of 2016 Mary Beth quit her job, packed up her belongings and moved to the Hudson Valley to begin graduate school. In May of 2018, she earned an MFA in Metal from the State University of New York at New Paltz. She teaches metalsmithing and design classes and has her own studio practice. And, the puppy is now 12.
Leah Coe-Howard is more than just a sales consultant with 13 years’ experience; she is also a trained jeweler in both settings and fabrication.
Her specialty lies in her ability to communicate with customers to understand exactly what they desire and produce exceptional designs and custom execution to fit their needs and she pours her heart into every piece she makes.
Cazenovia Jewelry has locations at 49 Albany Street in Cazenovia and 533 Towne Drive, in Towne Center Fayetteville. The Cazenovia Ladies Night Out is November 21 from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
