Where to find personalized jewelry and artwork

Where to find high-quality personalized jewelry and artwork in New England

You can find jewelry tailored to you at Tesoro, while Insect Lab offers unique creations made from dead insects.

Updated: 8:20 p.m. EST, December 2, 2024

Discovered the error. As long as I have a fault, as long as I have a broken watch, I can probably fix something. Will some people crush her? MIKE LIBBEY FROM PORTLAND, MAINE CELEBRATES YOU. The guts of these insects are horological. Yes, I take real preserved insect specimens and customize them mostly with antique clock parts. But lately I’ve started throwing in some things like sewing machine parts, gears, cogs, coil springs and in some cases precious jewels. So this is a KUBECON from CARTIER. AND IT’S SET WITH A REAL SAPPHIRE. He shared the excitement of how he ended up here. YES, THAT WAS IN 1999. I was at an artist residency, which is basically a place where artists can go and do whatever they want. Went to an idea that I thought was some kind of cheeky GIMMICK and decided to build a robot beetle. I found a beetle under a vending machine a year ago and decided it was so intact that I wanted to keep it as a specimen. With this shell, he used an old Mickey Mouse watch to create his first robot beetle. HIS WORK CERTAINLY DEVELOPED DELICATELY IN NATURE AND DYNAMIC THROUGH DESIGN AND OPENED THE INSECT LABORATORY IN 1999. AFTER GRADUATED FROM THE RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN AND LAST YEAR I BEGAN TO PUT SOME TATTOO NEEDLES INTO THE BEES, THE WASPS AND THE HORNETS. I LIKE TO LOOK FOR SMALL CONSISTENCES BETWEEN THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE DEVICES. ITS PARTS ARE ACQUIRED, if you will, in various ways. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR BEETLES FROM? THERE ARE PATTERN DEALERS. I already thought that. Have you ever found one on the street? YES. OH YES. As if my neighbor had given me a wasp. It was too small, but her heart is in the right place. MANY OF HIS CUSTOMERS SEND HIM A PARTICULAR INSECT THAT THEY WANT TO BEAUTIFY. BUT HE SENT ME A BEETLE THAT HE REMEMBERED SEEING IN HIS FATHER’S STORE WHEN HE WAS VERY YOUNG. AND IT WAS LIKE A 35 YEAR OLD BEETLE. And in this case, this person gave me this sample. The actual beetle, the actual specimen itself had a certain emotional significance. The tiny nature makes the work difficult. IT’S A PAIN. I mean, it’s not easy. IT’S IT’S A COMBINATION OF MAKING A FABERGE EGG IN A BOTTLE AS IT’S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE A SHIP IN A BOTTLE. It is very delicate and very time consuming. HOW DO YOU SHIP THESE THINGS? VERY CAREFULLY. YES. Do you know what they say about diamonds? THIS IS ABOUT BEING A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND. THIS CAN NEVER CHANGE. BUT THE WAY THAT GOES FROM THIS TO THIS CONTINUES TO Evolve. IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE WE STARTED THE IDEA OF OUR BUSINESS TOGETHER, WE SIT AT OUR DINING ROOM TABLE TRYING TO DECIDE HOW WE WOULD FIT INTO AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE ARE SO MANY CUTE AND BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY STORES, A SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT WHICH WE MEET WITH PEOPLE AND WE TALK TO THEM AND WE SHARE SPACE. YOU WILL NOT FIND BOXES FULL OF GLITTERY BALLS IN TESORO, BOSTON AND MIDDLETON. OK, A FEW, BUT WHAT YOU WILL FIND IS A CUSTOMIZED JEWELRY BAR, A PLACE WHERE CONVERSATION LEADS TO DESIGN, WHICH LEADS TO A UNIQUE FRAME FOR YOU AND YOUR DIAMOND. WHAT WE REALLY WANTED TO DO WAS: WE WANTED TO LISTEN. HEAR WHAT THE CUSTOMER SAY. By working with our customers, they can really put their personal stamp on things. JEWELRY IS ONE OF THE FEW ITEMS DESIGNED SOLELY BY EMOTIONS. You choose the stone and Nerissa brings your design thoughts to life on the computer. We even pay attention to skin tone. YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE RING MIGHT LOOK ON YOUR HAND, A SLIGHTLY DARKER SKIN TONE, OR A PAINTED FINGERNAIL. WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS. Do you think it’s perfect? Next is a 3D printed version of your environment. This young woman came in and they were going to get married and she was like, “I want something that reflects strength.” Like our love was as strong as an oak tree. So we took an oak leaf and then another heart-shaped leaf that we found in nature. AND MADE THEM INTO AN ALTERNATE OAK LEAF HEART LEAF, OAK LEAF RIBBON, WHATEVER YOU CAN IMAGINE, OR MAYBE MUCH MORE MUCH CLOSER TO WHAT YOU CAN IMAGINE. I mean, you know, we understand the technology behind it, so we know what won’t work. If you’re wondering if you can afford this personalized approach, it doesn’t matter if it costs $400, $4,000 or $40,000 for us. IT PUT IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF ENERGY. You know, I love EVERYTHING about it. THERE’S SOME BEAR HONEY IN MY FINGERS IF YOU SEE THEM DAVID GREW UP IN THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY AND HIS CAREER HAS BEEN BUYING, SELLING AND COLLABORATING WITH BIG BRANDS LIKE VERA WANG. I hope Steve isn’t watching. Back to Mike Libby. OUR INSECT ARTIST. SOME OF HIS ARTWORK ARE CURRENTLY EXHIBITED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND ART GALLERY IN BIDDEFORD, MAINE. IT WILL BE HERE UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY. IN ORDER. STYLE

Where to find high-quality personalized jewelry and artwork in New England

You can find jewelry tailored to you at Tesoro, while Insect Lab offers unique creations made from dead insects.

Updated: 8:20 p.m. EST, December 2, 2024

Insect Lab was born 20 years ago from Mike Libby’s love of science fiction and his artistic talent. His work customizes preserved insect specimens with handmade and mechanical hardware from watches, sewing machines, and various vintage devices. After decades in the diamond and jewelry business, David Hill and his wife Nerissa Tesoro opened Boston with a new take on the shopping experience. The couple’s “Jewelry Bar” is a place where you can customize and reinterpret precious pieces.

BOSTON –

Insect Lab was born 20 years ago from Mike Libby’s love of science fiction and his artistic talent. His work customizes preserved insect specimens with handmade and mechanical hardware from watches, sewing machines, and various vintage devices.

After decades in the diamond and jewelry business, David Hill and his wife Nerissa Tesoro opened Boston with a new take on the shopping experience. The couple’s “Jewelry Bar” is a place where you can customize and reinterpret precious pieces.