Rachel Burklund infuses passion into her ethereal jewelry at prices that are light on the purse strings

Since she was a little girl, Seattle jewelry artist Rachel Burklund has loved making things, starting with embroidery thread bracelets in elementary school to macramé necklaces and intricately woven beaded designs in her teenage years, which required, says Burklund, "a ton of patience."

That passion for creativity and discipline has paid off for the 30-something designer who lives by the mantra, "life is about infusing passion into every moment," as her ardor for adornment is embraced by some of Seattle's most exclusive retailers and a growing coterie of devoted customers.

Burklund's graceful, elegant pieces -- inspired by a beguiling blend of muses, from Cartier and Salvador Dali to Vivienne Westwood, Mark Rothko and art deco -- not only show a mastery of form and seamless artisanship, they possess an ethereal and eternal quality that is surprisingly light on the purse strings.

Using 14k gold fill, sterling silver, and high quality semi-precious stones sourced from around the world, Burklund's earrings average around $90 and necklaces $130. Her designs are available locally at Polite Society, Marco Two Union Square and Halo Salon as well as on her Web site.

Burklund, who has a degree in fashion design from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, began designing jewelry in San Francisco for Liz Palacios, eventually moving back to Seattle where she continued to hone her skills with Nordstrom as a clothing designer for their Classiques Entier line, which made for a natural leap into jewelry.

"My clothing background really helps me to be a great designer because I understand how jewelry should look, fit, and drape. Working with metals is inspiring to me, because I see them visually as fabric. I try to take the ordinary use of something and morph it into something that creates the unexpected."

Marco Farmer, owner of Marco's Two Union Square, which retails Burklund's designs, concurs. "Rachel's designs are a unique blend of maturity and playfulness. Organic designs, variety of stones, and her creative touch keep our clients excited to see what's next."

If you can't resist rubies or online shopping, head straight for her Web site, where first, you'll want to enter Buckland's "Favorite City and Why," Valentine's Day Contest, which ends at noon on Feb. 14.

"Travel is very important for my inspirations and motivation and I want to hear what cities inspire people; what city did they absolutely love and what made it so special?" The best description of the city of your dreams, says Burklund, along with the most passionate, will determine the winner of an exceptionally gorgeous pair of sterling silver, dangle earrings with drop-style, pear-shaped briolette rubies.

The section on gemology alone is also worth additional time as is the recently launched online store, filled to the brim with shiny gems, beautiful creations and tons of information. "We wanted to create a space where people can gather information while they shop," says Burkland. "Our customers care about what they are purchasing and like to know the story behind the piece, so having the gemology guide and the metal descriptions is important to them."

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