Our Story

We all have a happy place.

The place where you forget your worries and your soul soars.

Maybe that is gazing at the mountains on a bluebird sky day.

Or looking at the water lap the shoreline.

Or feeling the energy of a metropolitan city.

Or being still in your garden.

Wherever your happy place is, we design sterling silver and high karat gold jewelry that connects you to your happy place, wherever you may be.

Unlike mass-produced overseas mountain or wave jewelry that can be found in any tourist shop, we hand-make richly textured jewelry that involves a metalsmithing process called fusing. Each piece of sterling silver is hand-cut and carefully placed with tweezers onto a sterling silver base. Then with a little magic, a little luck, intense concentration and careful torch control, the piece is heated just before it completely melts. It's at this point that the pieces fuse to the base. This creates a unique look but also provides superior durability and texture to the piece. Then, using traditional metalsmithing techniques, each piece is finished by hand in our studio in Louisville, Colorado.

It's our hope that our jewelry will enable you to keep your happy place close to you, anytime, anywhere.

Metalsmithing process Jen Lesea Designs

Our Team

Jen Lesea-Ames, Owner/Designer/Metalsmith/Creative Visionary

"I have always taken the road less traveled, a non-conformist of sorts. Through many twists and turns, I returned home to my inner creative.

As a little girl, I collected rocks, minerals, and seashells along the shores of the Bay Area in northern California. In school I excelled in science. With a formal education in Exercise Physiology, I took a detour from stone collecting and art and worked full time as a Personal Fitness Trainer and Triathlon Coach for 18 years. It wasn’t until November 2009 when I was inspired to pull some dusty gemstone beads out of the drawer and do something completely unrelated to work: I taught myself basic stringing and started making jewelry.

At that moment, I reconnected with a part of myself that had been dormant for many years. Wanting more of a challenge, I studied metalsmithing at the Denver School of Jewelry Arts from 2012-2016, and I fell in love with fusing sterling silver, which enables me to create one-of-a-kind textures. In 2014, I found myself at a crossroads with my career when I was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia and labral tears. After two hip preservation (PAO) surgeries, I decided to retire from my fitness career and go full-time with my jewelry business."

The rest is history.

Kenzie Nelson, Production Assistant

"I have been enveloped by art and art making my entire life. Growing up, my mother (who is also an artist) made sure to nurture my natural desire to express myself through the act of creating. I began drawing and painting at a young age with a very strong interest in bold colors and forms. Being an extrovert with a desire to connect with others, I started college majoring in K-12 Art Education.

However, after taking an introduction to metalsmithing class at the beginning of my undergraduate experience, I was instantly infatuated by the technical and conceptual challenges the medium provided me. Though I later changed my major to metalsmithing and jewelry making, I stayed in the education program until my final year where I learned how to effectively share my passion with others. In 2020 I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BFA concentration in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Making from Colorado State University Fort Collins.

My work has been exhibited throughout the U.S. in curated and juried exhibitions, and most recently in The Feminist Art Museum’s Protest and Protect. In addition to being part of the Jen Lesea Designs team, I am currently teaching a variety of metalsmithing and jewelry workshops at Silver Peak Studio in Louisville, Colorado."

Shawn Ames, Master of wire-wrapping, order fulfillment, sales, and heavy lifting at art shows

"Once my wife, Jen, grew Jen Lesea Designs to the point where she needed more help (2016), I retired from my career in lighting to join the team. Since then, I have wire-wrapped thousands of birthstones, lifted hundreds of pounds of art show equipment, and provided support in all areas of the business. While my happy place is in the mountains, I am also happy working from home and being in business together with Jen."