Business & Tech

PIXessories Immortalizes Memories in Jewelry

Whitefish Bay jeweler works with Tosa photographer to create portraits in sterling silver settings.

If you are looking to get a head start on Valentine's Day shopping, consider turning a photo with your loved one into a jewelery gift with the help of two local artists.

Whitefish Bay jeweler Sarah Mann and Wauwatosa photographer Stephanie Bartz have combined their talents to form PIXessories, which creates personal and customized portraits set in handmade sterling silver settings.

The concept is simple enough. Set up a photo session with Bartz at the location of your choice (she has no studio and works only on location) for yourself or your loved one, who might well be your pet. Then choose your favorite shot from Bartz's proofs and, finally, select your ring or necklace setting for Mann to immortalize in solid silver.

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"I began doing this with plated, costume-jewelry settings, like self-sizing rings," Bartz said. The idea was there, but not the execution, she said. The something-special was lacking.

"I proposed doing it in sterling silver," Mann said. "What I can do is custom-size the piece in a more precious metal that lasts a whole lot longer."

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"Unlike plate, you can wear it every day," Bartz said.

Mann and Bartz met six years ago when Mann, a Shorewood native, returned to Milwaukee after studying jewelry design at Washington University in St. Louis and then working as a jeweler in New Orleans and New York.

Bartz had also studied photography in college and had worked her way up as a commercial studio assistant and "wedding shooter."

"I no longer shoot weddings, although I enjoyed it," Bartz said. "Portraits is what I want to do." She's been shooting on her own for more than 15 years.

After meeting in a local artists' group called Works in Progress, Bartz began seriously experimenting with the front end of PIXessories starting in July. It proved far from being as simple as cutting a tiny portrait print to fit.

"To be set in sterling, under glass, you have to find a photo-safe glue," Bartz said. The photo has to be resistant to fading and non-reactive with silver as well.

"I almost gave up, but then it seemed to come together," she said.

The two artists both introduced PIXessories portrait jewelry in their own shows and found they got a warm reception. And while the pieces seem prime for the romantic, they also got a lot of attention from dog-lovers.

"I started doing pet portraits some time ago," Bartz said, "just before this wave of doggie day-cares and such came along. I hit it at the right time."

Bartz's creative photo sessions start at $175 and the PIXessories rings and necklaces are $120. PIXessories take two to three weeks to produce from the beginning of the photo shoot. For more information, visit Mann's and Bartz's websites.


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