About Me

Hi, I’m Gwen Bernecker. I founded Two Olives Studio to pursue the design and craft of fine handmade jewelry. I love to explore texture and color throughout my work, which I create by hand using innovative techniques (you can read more about my creative process below). Textiles are often my source of inspiration. I devote part of my time to teaching and speaking. My formal education is a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. I live in Chester County, Pennsylvania with my husband Craig, who teaches in the graduate architecture programs at the University of Pennsylvania and Parsons School for Design, my children, and Toby, our playful and energetic German short-haired pointer.

Creative Process

My work is created using an innovative material called metal clay, which must be fired in a kiln to take on its permanent form. Developed in Japan and brought to the United States in 1996, the metal clay is created through an environmentally responsible process that recycles silver (for example, silver from the emulsion byproduct of film photography). I work with it in both lump and leather hard forms prior to firing it in the kiln at 1650 degrees Fahrenheit. The kiln burns away the clay’s organic binder and leaves 99.999% fine silver. I use traditional metalsmithing techniques to work with each piece after firing. My work has continually explored the limits of the material, and in 2006 I pioneered a way to create large hollow forms. I accent many pieces with Keum-Boo, an ancient Korean technique which applies 24-karat gold to the fine silver.

This Site

I’d like to thank my son, Jake, for his tireless help with the design and development of this website. Feel free to contact him through his website; he’s available for freelance work.