At Stonington Designs, we believe that jewelry means more when it carries its own story—when what you’re wearing is truly one of one.
These days, so many of the things we buy are mass-produced. Quality is sacrificed for convenience, and sentiment for speed.
But jewelry is different. It’s something we tend to choose with care, because well-made jewelry carries deep meaning. It holds memories. It becomes something you reach for on the days that matter most—and then pass down through generations.
That’s exactly why we make every piece by hand.
When you wear a bracelet, ring, necklace, or pair of earrings from our Drift by Stonington Designs collection, you don’t have to wonder where it came from. You will know that it was crafted in a small batch—either in the small workshop Rich and I run here in Connecticut, or by the skilled hands of our military spouse weavers.
As we’ve grown over the years, I’m proud to say that the humble integrity of our process remains the same. If you’re curious how a piece goes from an offcut of wood to a finished accessory, I’d love to walk you through our process:
Choosing the Right Materials
Whenever inspiration strikes for a new piece, I don’t have to go far. I simply walk from my design studio out to our woodshop and take a look at our extensive collection of wood remnants.
My husband, Rich, is a woodworker by trade, and every project he completes leaves behind beautiful offcuts and end cuts of premium wood. Most shops would discard these. We keep them. We see value in those remnants. They’re the perfect size to begin something new.
When selecting the right type of wood for a new design, I consider:
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Functionality – Some woods bend more easily than others. That flexibility makes them perfect for pieces like earrings or cuff bracelets that require more intensive shaping. Rings, on the other hand, can benefit from harder woods that hold structure.
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Appearance – Wood carries natural variation—rich tones, subtle shifts in color, intricate grain patterns. These aesthetic qualities can really impact the final feel of a piece, so I always let the natural hues and features inspire me when I’m finalizing a design. Especially for rings, I look for pieces where the grain becomes part of the design itself.
Nantucket Basket Weaving
Many of our pieces incorporate traditional Nantucket basket weaving techniques passed down through generations.
In fact, taking a class in this art form was the catalyst that inspired me to start our jewelry line.
I was captivated by the rich heritage of this maritime tradition, which began in the 1800s when crews aboard lightships—essentially floating lighthouses—wove baskets to pass the time. Over the years, the craft evolved into an intricate art form that is now recognized worldwide.
When I returned home from this class and looked at our collection of wood remnants, I knew this crafting technique would complement our materials beautifully. The natural bamboo used in our weaving highlights the wood’s character in a way that feels both timeless and unique.
Our Military Spouse Weaving Program
If you’re familiar with our story, you know we started a military spouse weaving program to give back to the families who sacrifice so much for our freedom.
READ: Stonington Designs: A Story of a Craftsman & An Artist
This program grew naturally out of our commitment to handmade quality. In the early years, I was weaving everything by hand. As demand grew, it became impossible to keep up. We could have cut corners and mass-produced our pieces—but we didn’t. Instead, we found more hands.
By starting our Military Spouse Weaving Program, we support a cause we believe in while guaranteeing that every piece we sell is handmade with the same attention to detail. Our weavers complete a month-long training and certification, and every piece passes quality checks to meet our standards. This allows us to grow while staying true to the craftsmanship that defines our work.
How Our Pieces Are Made
Hitch Covers
Did you know that Stonington Designs actually started with trailer hitch covers? Each one begins with carefully cut mahogany, with maple inlaid into carved channels. The posts are epoxied into countersunk grooves on the back, then finished with multiple layers of marine-grade varnish to withstand the elements.
Rings
Rings are crafted entirely in our woodshop by Rich. Small pieces of reclaimed wood are inlaid into a tungsten core, shaped on the lathe, sealed, and buffed to a smooth finish. We can also incorporate meaningful elements into the channels of our rings—sand, dried flowers, stones, or even ashes—making each piece deeply personal.
Bracelets
Bracelets begin with reclaimed wood staves—thin pieces that Rich cuts, sands, and shapes before I bend them around a brass core for structure.
Our military spouse weavers then hand-weave bamboo patterns around the wood and metal core. Finally, we finish each cuff with handcrafted end caps.
Earrings and Necklaces
These collections both utilize leftover pieces from our bracelet-making process, giving new life to materials that might otherwise go unused. For example, our Slivers line turns small broken remnants into new designs.
Because of their ornate designs, many of our earrings and necklaces are woven by our military spouse weavers, so each carries a story of intention, resourcefulness, and American-made craftsmanship.
Why Handmade Matters
These days, it can be easy to feel like we’re more disconnected than ever before. We give our loved ones ‘likes’ on social media more than we give them hugs in real life. We read books on our digital screens rather than holding a physical paperback in our hands.
In so many small ways, modern life asks us to trade authenticity for convenience.
But we’ve discovered that, when we’re intentional about finding opportunities to add a little more “real” back into our everyday lives, we can make even the simplest moments feel so much more special.
For Rich and I, we crave meaning and connection in the jewelry we wear, and we create our products for people who feel the same.
That’s why no two pieces from our collection are the same. Each wood grain is distinct, and every set of hands brings care and craftsmanship.
The result: jewelry that can’t be replicated—made to be uniquely yours.
Customization
Our work is not just about our story—it’s about yours. Because we make everything by hand to order, we can customize pieces to your personal request:
We can inlay sand from the beach where you got engaged into your wedding band.
We can etch a memorial message into a bracelet to honor someone you love.
We’ve even repurposed a family’s home mantle—the place their children hung stockings each Christmas—into jewelry. Trusted with something so meaningful, we turned it into a keepsake they can carry every day.
Learn more about our customization offerings here.
Feel the Difference of Handmade Craftmanship
When you wear a piece of jewelry that was made by hand, it doesn’t just look better. It feels different. In a world where it isn’t always easy to see how something was made, we’re grateful to be able to share that every piece in our collection is created with the same care and integrity, the same slow, thoughtful process—no corners cut, nothing rushed. Just a steady commitment to the art of craftsmanship.
For us, the time each piece takes isn’t a drawback—it’s a pride point. It means the piece holds meaning. It means it lasts. And when you’re investing in something to enjoy for years and pass down, you deserve nothing less.
