About

 

 

 

 

Aleda Powell is truly a one-woman show. As a primarily self-taught jeweler, she embodies the concept of "if you want it done right, do it yourself" -- one of the primary reasons she started her fine jewelry line is that she could not find anyone making the jewelry she wanted to wear. After teaching herself the basics, Aleda took an intensive bench jeweler's course to hone her skills. From there, she commandeered the barn behind her house, hung up a "No Boys Allowed" sign (she lives with her husband, two sons, and three male dogs), and turned it into her studio - Always Aleda was born.

 

Every piece is hand-crafted from 100% recycled 14 karat gold. Aleda’s designs begin as sketches in her coffee-stained leather notebook before being meticulously and expertly hand-carved into wax, which are then cast in gold. The bespoke chains start as heavy gold wire, which Aleda shapes into individual links to be woven and soldered together for bracelets, necklaces, and anklets. Finally, each piece is finished with Aleda's signature process that gives them the look and feel of antiquity. Everything, from inception to completion, is done by Aleda by hand. She has the calloused artisan fingers to prove it.

 

By working exclusively with recycled gold, the fine jewelry Aleda crafts is not only sustainable but also unique. Each batch of refined gold has its own subtle but distinctive hue, so no two pieces are exactly alike. Choosing to forgo the traditional high polish finish, Always Aleda designs feature a softly worn texture, which gives the impression they were plucked from an archaeological dig after spending centuries buried in the sand. The lack of commercial refinement gives Aleda's customers the magical feeling they are wearing a historical artifact. While the pieces aren't ancient, they are one of a kind, and they are most certainly destined to be treasured for generations to come.