Meet the Maker: Jewelry Designer Lila Rice
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Temps de lecture 5 min
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Lila Rice has been hand-producing her jewelry since 2001. What began as an intuitive exploration of metal has grown into a distinctive body of work shaped by curiosity and craft. Largely self-taught, she first launched her line, Round Designs, in California before evolving into the eponymous collection she now designs and produces from her Hudson Valley studio.
Drawing inspiration from both the natural and engineered worlds, Lila’s pieces balance strength and softness, weight and wearability. The maker’s hand is evident in every curve and surface — a deliberate counterpoint to the pace of fast fashion and mass production. These are pieces meant to last.
For Lila, jewelry is more than decoration — it often marks a relationship, a memory, or a moment in time. That understanding of jewelry as both object and vessel for meaning runs through everything she creates.
We asked Lila about learning the craft on her own terms, how her work has evolved over time, who she imagines wearing her pieces (“hot grandmas” included), and what’s next for her this spring.
You’re a largely self-taught metalsmith. Can you share a bit about how you got started with jewelry? Was there a moment you realized this could be more than a creative outlet and become a business?
I'm sure there are more efficient ways of learning a craft but I've also come to feel that learning by doing has its own advantages. I was a kid that was always making jewelry and even doing simple repairs for friends as early as 3rd grade (when my mom gave me several pairs of small, blue-handles pliers).
I took one evening session of a beginner metalsmithing class in New Hampshire when I was about 20 years old and I was hooked. There’s an intersection of metal as an art form, the challenge of learning new tools and processes, and the pickiness and precision of detail work that really checked all the boxes for me.
I was mostly making jewelry for myself when customers at the restaurant where I was waiting tables started placing jewelry orders, and that's when I began the slow process of building a brand. I thought I was on a path to become a career academic but boy was I wrong! Metal work really stopped me in my tracks.
"I do my best to make something beautiful but it's also a vessel for something immaterial and unique"
Who do you imagine wearing your pieces? What do you hope someone experiences — emotionally or physically — when they put one on?
I try to make something for everyone. In fact, one of my favorite challenges is to make something for a person that's "not a jewelry person" and have them feel entirely at home, as though they at last found THE PIECE they didn't know was out there.
I like a piece of jewelry to be comfortable but also have a strong presence. Weightiness is ok-- even desirable, except perhaps with an earring-- but it's essential that it feels like an extension of the body in some way.
If I were to name a favorite demographic for a customer I might have to say. . . hot grandmas? Haha. But truly I do enjoy making jewelry for all kinds of people, even kids!
Your jewelry feels strong yet delicate, minimal but organic. When creating something new, what guides you — shape, material, mood, or something else?
That's a hard question but I would have to say the metal does the guiding. Most of the time I don't have an exact plan when making something new-- I like to play with the material and see what takes shape.
"If I were to name a favorite demographic for a customer I might have to say. . . hot grandmas?"
Could you take us through a typical day in your studio?
After getting my daughter off to school, I usually migrate to my home studio and catch up on admin and then spend a couple of hours making or cleaning up pieces that are in-progress.
I usually try to move my body for a little while in the afternoon before a few more hours of work-- metalsmithing can be very sedentary, and I've learned about myself that I get low-energy, cranky or anxious if I don't get some exercise, especially now that I'm in my 40s. As they say, movement is medicine. So my studio also multitasks as a home gym, which is convenient, but I do have to be careful about not stepping on metal shards!
Thinking back to your earliest pieces, what feels different about your work today? Was there a moment, collection, or turning point that changed your approach?
My work used to be much more angular and texturally-driven. Moody, dark, earthy. At a certain point I became drawn to smooth, sensual forms and evolved into designing pieces with real tactile appeal. I used to dislike jewelry that was too polished and now I spend endless hours trying to get smooth, perfect finishes. I think there was something that happened when I started thinking about becoming a mother-- there was one collection that was very heavy with smooth egg-shaped forms, and since that time my work has been curvier, more effulgent and sexy.
What kind of jewelry do you wear every day? Are there pieces — yours or others’ — that you rarely take off, and do they hold a story?
Almost all of the jewelry I wear daily are pieces that I have made; I have my little gold ear stacks that don't come off, rings that I wear all the time (mixed metals, always, because I love all the metals), and a signet ring that my husband gave to me with our daughter's name on it. I usually wear a gold chain that I made.
My husband gives me chunky vintage silver pieces if he finds something special, which I appreciate because I am a jewelry lover, after all!
I often wear a really heavy chain bracelet that I made as a standalone statement piece. It's called the Boss Bracelet, because that's how I feel when I wear it.
Images courtesy of Eleven Six
As we head into spring, what feels energizing or new for you right now? Is there anything you’re excited to explore in the months ahead?
Yes! The most exciting development for spring is that I am opening my first retail space! I'm partnering with a dear friend, who is a vintage clothing sourcer with a real gift for augmenting and restoring garments. Look for us on the same block as Clove & Creek in Kingston, opening in late spring. We don't have a firm name for the shop yet-- look for us down the magical alley on Broadway. My collection will be there and it will also be a beautiful place to meet with customers about bespoke pieces and commitment rings. Come and see me!
