Delia Stone is one of Pensacola, Florida’s top jewelry artists. Winner of multiple awards and published six times in the national jewelry maker’s magazine Step by Step Wire, Delia’s techniques are adapted from the styles developed in ancient Egypt, Phoenicia, and Peru. Delia explains that contrary to popular misconception, wirework is indeed an art. It has just been a lost art for thousands of years and is finally re-emerging to take its place amongst the world’s aesthetics once again. Delia is always adding to her skill set. “Enameling is my latest obsession,” says Delia. I’ve taught myself how to create my own cloisonné jewels and found that I really enjoy creating these little wearable works of art. It’s like painting with fire and glass and is another ancient art form that I can add to my repertoire.”
Along with the ancient and timeless techniques of history’s greatest civilizations, Delia’s signature Victorian-era Needle-lace work, which she helped popularize amongst today’s jewelry artists, is characteristic of her great attention to detail. Her Green Corn stitch, inspired by her experiences in a traditional Muskogee Creek Stomp Dance society is especially popular amongst Native American style artists. Delia likes to work with precious and semi-precious stones; labradorite, ammonite fossils and carved bone, precious metals and vitreous glass. These diverse influences and natural flowing techniques give Delia Stone’s work a timeless character that is both classical and modern.
A lover of nature, Delia first began making wire jewelry in 1991 by wrapping polished stones for friends and family. Initially, she made her pieces to give away as gifts as she developed her unique style. Knowledge of her work grew and Delia subsequently began receiving orders from people eager to commission and purchase her work. Being self-taught, Delia had to seek out and conceptually deconstruct the many styles and techniques she has since made a natural part of her art. As her talents developed, she quickly began receiving requests for hands-on jewelry lessons which inspired a line of Delia Stone original tutorials and a series of formal classes. She looks forward to teaching others what she struggled on her own to learn, giving her students something she never had: a professional foundation and instruction on basic to advanced techniques, encouraging the continuance of her craft for the future. She has taught wire-wrap jewelry classes all over the Southeast and currently resides in Pensacola, Florida where she offers group classes and individual instruction by appointment. Delia firmly believes that to become a professional artist, one only need to take their work seriously and understand the value of bringing a vision to life.
Awards
Current as of November 2010
- Troyfest 2004 – Merit Award
- Troyfest 2005 – Merit Award
- Greater Gulf Coast Arts Festival Heritage Arts 2008 – Award of Excellence
- Festival on the Green 2010 – Third Place
- Troyfest 2010 – Seven Purchase Awards
- Williams Stations Day 2010 – Merit Award and two Purchase Awards
- Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival Heritage Arts 2010 – Award of Excellence
- Publications: Current as of November 2010
- Step by Step Wire Magazine 2005 – Wire Works Gallery Pages
- Step by Step Wire Magazine 2007 – Wire Works Gallery Pages
- Step by Step Wire Jewelry 2008 (Summer Issue) – Featured Tutorial: Needlelace Caged Pendant
- Step by Step Wire Jewelry 2010 (Spring Issue) – Wire Works Gallery Pages
- Step by Step Wire Jewelry 2010 (Summer Issue)- Wire Works Gallery Pages
- Step by Step Wire Jewelry’s special issue: Best of Wire 2010 Featured Tutorial: Needlelace Caged Pendant
