Rows of identical rings and earrings, shined and machine-shaped, glimmering with perfectly translucent, and symmetrical diamonds—that’s not what you’ll find at R&D los olivos.
Owner Diane Dorsey didn’t open the Los Olivos shop to show jewelry that looks like something one would find in a chain or department store. She wanted to share her own work, which uses fine materials but with a more natural and rustic feel, she explained.
“Besides gold, I also enjoy natural diamonds or natural stones, like turquoise or black jade from Montana,” Dorsey said. “I like working with stones that are kind of rare, like stones that come from mines that are now closed. You can’t even get them anywhere anymore unless you find a rock collector and get a hunk of that rock.”
Dorsey crafts a complete variety of jewelry, she explained, including rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.
Rare stones are a focus, but so are natural diamonds, she said. But really, her first and favorite material is gold, 18 karat gold to be exact.
“It’s pretty much all gold. For me, gold, it’s all about the color,” Dorsey said. “Pure gold is 100 percent, but 18 karat gold is 75 percent pure gold, but that other 25 percent is an alloy that you adjust to get just the color that you want.”
R&D los olivos opened in December of 2017, when Dorsey and her husband, Ron Helman, opened the shop to showcase her work and the jewelry of a few other designers. They also have a rotating featured artist as well as a few other items, like candles and fragrances.
The location is a tiny shotgun-style shop located just a block to the East of Los Olivos’ iconic flagpole at Grand and Alamo Pintado Avenue. Dorsey and Helman found out that the location would be available, she said, and so they connected with the building’s renter before it even went on the market.
“In this very small space of 350 square feet, we’re bringing together what we like to say is beauty for every day,” she said.
The work featured front and center at R&D los olivos is Dorsey’s, of course, but there are other jewelry designers’ work for sale as well. The designers include Scott Diffrient, Amyn, Holly Masterson, and Anthony Lent. Their work is in a similar vein to Dorsey’s, but don’t overlap too much in look and style, she said.
Dorsey does her work at a home studio, which she calls her “happy place.” There, she creates wax molds for rustic, flowery rings; beads necklaces with natural diamonds and gold beads; and shapes stones and molds with her set of tools.
“The metal is the focus for me,” she said, “and the stone is the last stroke with the paintbrush, it’s just that little touch.”
Some of her rings come in either 18 karat gold or sterling silver, including her “signature ring stacks.” The small, metallic bands are topped with little shapes: flowers, crosses, or oval-shaped forms. They have more of a matte look than a polished shine, and the shapes aren’t perfectly parallel or symmetrical.
“I’m drawn to the slight imperfection,” Dorsey said, “some little thing that makes it very organic. It’s from the natural world, it’s not something a machine could do. I’m not interested in that.”
Locals and travelers through the Santa Ynez Valley alike are drawn to that style, Dorsey said. She and Helman have had a successful first month, she said, and they’re hoping to expand their offerings in the coming months.
“The locals all throughout this valley have been so supportive of our work,” she said. “We’re just getting more excited.”
Highlights:
• The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce presents the annual Police Awards on Feb. 6 at 8 a.m. to honor Santa Maria Police Department officers with thanks and awards for Officer of the Year, Dispatcher of the Year, and Live Saving Award. Cost to attend the event is $35, $25 for chamber members, and $25 to sponsor an officer. Breakfast is included. More info: (805) 925-2403, Ext. 814, or alex@santamaria.com.
Managing Editor Joe Payne wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, mail, or email at spotlight@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Feb 1-8, 2018.