Our Story
“Emerge, Become, Trust, Believe, and Ignite Others”
Welcome to Ori-Anne Designs, where we specialize in handmade jewelry using copper. My name is Anne Smith, and I am the Founder, Designer, and Creator of these energizing items infused with what I call Ori-Anne energy. Ori-Anne jewelry is created in my small home studio in the midcoast Maine town of Lincolnville, where the mountains meet the sea. Beautiful lakes, mountain views, and the nearby ocean are all inspirational and provide a calm yet energizing vibration which is felt in every piece. While Copper is beautiful all on its own, the techniques used to enhance it are always fabulously unpredictable. I love the colors that appear and the powerful vibe that follows it to my customers. I hope you enjoy them all as much as I enjoy creating them!
Where it all began...
Ori-Anne Designs draws its inspiration from my life-long interest in crafting unique, energetic jewelry brimming with a distinctly personal touch. The brand specializes in copper-based jewelry, chosen for its warmth, healing properties, and appeal to a niche audience. The pieces are painstakingly handcrafted, often with a blend of beading and metalwork techniques, and are further distinguished by their unique patina and flame painting techniques that render a rustic, bohemian feel.
The brand’s ethos is captured in its name – Ori-Anne, symbolizing ‘New Beginnings,’ reflects the founder’s journey of rebirth and renewal, along with a tribute to a beloved family member. The mission of Ori-Anne Designs extends beyond crafting beautiful jewelry; it is to help women see their inner strength, emerge from their shadows, and ignite their own life with renewed hope and confidence. This vision stems from the founder’s own experiences and the realization of the transformative power of creative expression.
Thus, each piece of jewelry from Ori-Anne Designs is not just a unique fashion statement but also a symbol of empowerment, resilience, and the potential for rebirth.
My fascination with jewelry-making traces back to the vibrant era of the late 80s and 90s. Like many budding artisans, my journey began with stringing beads to fashion necklaces and hairclips, crafted with care from beads that hung from a beautifully braided embroidery floss. From these humble beginnings, my desire to subtly distinguish myself from the crowd, to express my individuality without being excessively avant-garde, started to bloom. My creativity was an elegant dance between conforming to societal norms and gently rebelling against them. Life took its course, and my hands didn't return to crafting jewelry until 2014. Inspired by the artwork of a local artist, I found myself drawn towards Bead Embroidery classes. This was the ideal confluence of my love for beads and fabrics, and it ushered in my penchant for asymmetric design, an exquisite balance achieved without traditional symmetry. Subsequent life transitions urged me to carve a fresh path and purpose, leading me to explore the world of metalsmithing. As part of my physical and emotional healing journey, I embraced Copper's charm and healing properties, embarking on a new chapter of my creative exploration.
Copper was chosen for basically 3 reasons:
- I LOVE the metal – it's color and warmth always draw me towards it.
- I was taking WAY too many NSAIDs (22 a day on average for over seven years in an attempt to alleviate pain). After going thru back surgery and the disability process, I did not want to be reliant on medications that didn’t work or made my mind fuzzy. Working with copper for the healing and balancing properties felt like a step in the right direction.
- Copper is not a common jewelry item. Sterling Silver, Fine Silver, and Gold are more commonly found…Copper is a grounding and organic element, with a rustic bohemian feel that appeals to a different audience.
Our process
Each piece is hammered, tumbled, and prepped as needed. Statement pieces are usually hand forged. As I have continued learning new ways to handle the metal, I discovered various Patina techniques and a LOVE for Flame Painting. By working with a small kitchen-style torch, I am soldering components together and then pulling color from the copper using only the flame’s heat. A series of quenching, heating, then burnishing achieves the look, and a clear coating helps to keep the pieces from oxidizing. The process keeps things interesting since no two pieces are alike, and each piece possesses an organically appealing nature in the designs and patterns.
Another process I have utilized is applying a Verdigris patina to pieces, which also has an earthy and natural look. This is a chemical application applied to copper blanks. The interesting aspect of this patinaed finish is that the colors can be varying…from a pale yellow-green to olive to bright teal. While applied to the entire piece, it adheres to portions, keeping each piece uniquely different. Clear coating is also necessary to limit the oxidation of the copper.
Plain copper jewelry is also created as earrings, cuff, and bangle style bracelets and necklaces…and all of my jewelry has the purest copper wire used in the handmade ear wires to help pass the properties of the copper to the wearer.
What's in the name?
The birth of Ori-Anne Designs was a quest for a business name that would encapsulate my ethos and add renewed vitality to my brand. Seeking a term that embodied 'Fire'—a central element in my designs—I wanted not its literal mention, but a metaphor for its transformative energy and how it underpins my mission to create distinctive designs that empower women to rise and radiate their inner light.
Fire, although often associated with destruction, also symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings. I was thrilled to come across the name 'Oriane', the name of my cherished great aunt. This beautiful French name, resonating with meanings like Sunrise, Dawn, Gold, and New Beginnings, encapsulates the spirit of renewal, inspiration, creativity, strength, and courage. Ori-Anne beautifully blends these empowering transformations, my family legacy, and the grace inherent in my name. This name also pays homage to my aunt's remarkable persona, ensuring her presence is always felt in my daily life.
Anne's soul spoke to her...
Most women's journey in their lifetime has many levels, but the one that comes from Emerging after Domestic Abuse begins with only the Ashes remaining from your life’s experiences. As that empty place within your Soul begins to Heal, a Spark renews, and your Inner Fire burns again. That Glow grows as you become more Whole, and soon it is seen in every action…From the clothing and jewelry you wear to how often you Smile, your positive and upbeat overall perspective of life can be felt by the Energy you emit. Light fills the spaces you move thru as you Ignite Others and help them see themselves with renewed Hope and Confidence.
A “vision” or “voice” came to me one morning that has dedicated this part of my journey and purpose. I heard the words and rushed to write them before forgetting them. This is what I was told, and I truly believe my Soul was speaking to me at this moment.
My soul said,
"Look into the Flames of the Fire, and let me tell you a story about Love, Survival, and Transformation.
She began to whisper…
"We Are Still Here! Just like that Fire in your stove, we were once just an Ember…We came close to being Smothered and Extinguished, and at the last minute, Oxygen was provided to us so we could Breathe again."
Then her voice grew stronger!
"Fuel was added in the form of Love and Support so we could Ignite. And, over time, we have grown stronger and more powerful, and we now have Room to Expand.
So, Now it is Time…
Time to Emerge as a Flame that Lights Others,
to Shine Brightly and with Warmth,
to Spark Other’s Souls,
and to Guide those that need to See!
We will Light their Path so they too can Emerge from an Ember and Become."
::: A Mantra developed from this epiphany which is now part of my studio workspace (I painted a fire background and these words accented by hearts to also represent Self-Love). It simply reminds me to
EMERGE (every day…no hiding!)
BECOME (stay reaL…no more masks!)
TRUST (others and myself…not always easy!)
BELIEVE (in myself, in the universe, in my gut emotions and intuition)
and to IGNITE OTHERS (Spread my energy in a way that helps others to see their value, to feel their own energy, to feel hope, and to emerge)