Temple St. Clair
Working in an airy studio above the streets of New York’s SoHo, Temple draws inspiration from varied and far-flung sources: a color in a Mannerist painting, an architectural element in a Venetian church or a Kyoto temple, the shifting shades of the sea. In her designs, as in her life, she blends a modern aesthetic with a deep love of art, history and storytelling.
After completing her academic studies in Italian Literature at Smith College and then, Middlebury College, Temple remained in Florence. Studying the details of the Renaissance, she was inspired to create her own work and to partner with the centuries-old Florentine jewelers guild.
She sold her first collection to Barneys New York in 1986; 20 years later her designs continue to draw on classical motifs. Temple’s signature triple granulation and “archer’s” granule on the shank of her rings nod affectionately to Etruscan and Hellenistic gold work. Another trademark is her brilliant eye for color. She travels the world to select the most uncommon and perfect gemstones and then sets them in innovative ways.
In combining exquisite materials and craftsmanship in an old world tradition with an independent and modern spirit of design, Temple creates distinctive jewelry for the modern woman.
