Gabriel Ofiesh
Virginia – Unable to land a prep school teaching job, Ofiesh, an English literature graduate from the University of Virginia, traveled to Chatham, Virginia to try to sell some of the silver jewelry he made as a hobby. His unprecedented “commercial success” sparked the beginnings of a 30-year career as a jewelry designer. Largely self-taught, Ofiesh took workshops along the way with noted metal workers, Heikki Seppa and Ronald Pearson. Gabriel studied gem-setting at the Revere Academy in the mind 1980′s, but mostly continued to work on his own, moving from silver to gold, refining techniques and developing his interest in jewelry that moves.
