I started Sue Rosengard Jewelry Design, Ltd. in New York City after studies in Paris and Italy and a degree in French. My jewelry education, although primarily self-taught, began with a jewelry making class in New York. I continued to learn, to experiment and to sharpen my metalsmithing skills over the next few years, eventually returning to my hometown of Chicago to start making jewelry full-time.

I have always tried to create affordable, well-crafted and well-designed jewelry. The contemporary geometric shapes are structured to flatter the face or lapel of the wearer while being lightweight, easy to wear, and timeless. I suspect my inspiration partly comes from growing up in Chicago among the skyscrapers and Frank Lloyd Wright influences. The designers of the Modernist era (1940-1960) have also been significant – jewelers Margaret de Patta and Paul Lobel, sculptor Alexander Calder, and designer Russell Wright .

My contemporary sculptural jewelry is hand fabricated primarily in sterling or gold-filled. Each piece is individually made and even if I tried, no two are exactly identical. I rarely if ever use any jigs or templates, preferring to use my pliers and mandrels, and often just my fingers and hands to form, curve, and bend the silver or gold wire into miniature sculptures. I am the happiest and most creative when I can touch and feel the material.

The designs tend to appeal to people across all ages and tastes and my goal is to have my customers wear a piece of jewelry that complements their own style and personality.