One of my very favorite things about the jewelry industry is getting to see the work of emerging jewelry designers. There’s nothing more thrilling than the vibrant innovation and jaw-dropping creativity of independent artists.

Space 85 is a new and exciting online platform dedicated to exceptional artisan handcrafted jewelry from emerging jewelry designers in New York! It’s as cool as it sounds.

Emerging jewelry designers unite at Space 85.

As a jewelry consumer, the problem with loving emerging designers tends to be a very practical one: how does an average shopper actually FIND small businesses run by independent designers in order to buy their jewelry?

Space 85 solves this problem in the most satisfying way, by offering an online shopping experience dedicated to extraordinary handmade pieces by independent jewelry artists.

Jewels by Alexa Horton, Linda Hoj, and Angelica Cammarota.

The artists at Space 85 use a variety of materials, from high karat gold to sterling silver, the finest gemstones to earthly rocks, to out of the ordinary materials. The majority of the pieces shown on Space 85 are made using the ancient lost wax method, traditional metal-smithing, and a combination of the two.

Every piece of jewelry at Space 85 is made in the New York City area; that’s every part of the process from from creation, to casting, to setting and polishing.

Earrings by Ruth Edelson and Taryn Leavitt.

When you browse Space 85, you can filter View All, filter by type of jewelry (necklaces, earrings, etc) or filter by Designer. If you go to the page that lists all of the designers, you’ll be greeted by something remarkable: the listing of each includes not only a picture of each brand’s jewelry, but the actual face of the artist.

This may seem like a small detail, but it is perfectly emblematic of everything that makes Space 85 noteworthy.

Jewels by Dori Friedberg, Taryn Leavitt, and Lori Anne.

How great it is it when you buy something for yourself and you know the identity of the actual human being who came up with the idea and made it happen with their own hands?

It is the coolest thing and I absolutely love to see the industry evolving to allow these talented artists to have more support and more ways of reaching the jewelry-loving public. It’s good for artists and it’s good for us, the jewelry lovers of the world, because it means we have the chance to buy their gorgeous, authentic creations.

These are two of my favorites from the currently available pieces on Space 85. They have the same incredibly cool use of geometry and negative space that I find absolutely irresistible.

The wing pendant on the left is by Patricia Kolodny; it’s 22K yellow gold with diamonds. The mind-blowingly cool necklace on the left is by Taryn Leavitt. It’s oxidized sterling silver with 18K yellow gold and it was inspired by a street grate the designer saw in Italy.

Jewels by Alex Story, Susan Meier, and Laura Caspi.

Space 85 launched last year with a huge push around the holidays – because what’s better than artisan made jewelry as gifts? – but the platform is still going strong.

In our age of quarantine, it’s so important to have ways to find new and exciting jewelry from emerging designers from the safety of our own homes. I look forward to keeping an eye on Space 85 and to see how they grow over time.

Pendants by Sandrine B Jewelry and Lori Anne.

Because Space 85’s inventory is dedicated to showcasing the work of a range of artists, the jewelry it offers spans a wide and eclectic range of styles.

I’ve come pretty close to showing you one piece from every designer here, but there’s so much more to see! I strongly recommend clicking over there and taking a look. It’s worth your time.

Rings by Jimena Roel, Mejia Jewelry, Rachel Beck, and Casual Seance.

All photos c/o Space 85.