Jeanine Payer
Poetry hand-engraved onto precious metals is how San Francisco-based jewelry designer Jeanine Payer creates her collections of emotionally engaging yet subtle jewelry. There are few things as intimate as wearing poetry against your skin, as many of her clients can acclaim. Growing up in Southern California, Payer was surrounded by an encouraging, artistic family. One of her first creations was designed as a gift: a tiny book engraved with a beloved poem by Rainer Maria Rilke that only the wearer knew was there. Today, Payer’s designs continue to be graced with the words of both contemporary and ancient voices such as Emily Dickinson, Rumi, Lao Tzu, Jane Hirshfield, and Ovid. “These pieces become talismans as they are chosen to mark emotional and philosophical moments in each person’s life,” Payer explains.