Vivasmith stands for the last names of it's founders Deborah Vivas and Melissa J. Smith. It means forgers of life - adequate for the couple, as one carves her way with metals, while the other facets her way with gemstones.Deborah is a multidisciplinary designer born in Canada, raised and educated in Venezuela. She has lived in Toronto for many years and recently has taken roots in North East Ohio. With a background in architecture, she approaches her designs through order, color and form. She recently earned the Applied Jewelry Professional Diploma from the Gemological Institute of America.Melissa was born and raised in Ohio, she has a dual Degree from The Ohio State University in Landscape Design and Turf Management. Her background in the green industry is what lead her to find a love for gemstones and their unique inclusions. She further her studies in gemology and was awarded the Susan Jacques and the GIA Board of Governors Scholarship in 2016 which helped her become a Graduate Gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America. She approaches faceting by bringing out the natural beauty of each gemstone.Their current work expresses a play with light, dimension and surface formations. They fuse 24 karat gold and 999 silver to mild steel, this unique technique involves a balance between calculations and a hint of chance. The resulting patterns and textures, accentuated with a dark blue heat patina evokes the shimmers of rippling waters and swirling cosmos.Deborah and Melissa are dedicated to sustainability in their studio and believe that playful and interesting jewelry does not need to sacrifice elegance or ethics. They have exhibit and sold their pieces at high end juried art and fine craft shows and exhibitions nationally and internationally; including, the Smithsonian Craft Show, the Philadelphia Museum of Art craft show, the American Craft Council Show, the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair and the East Europe Autor Contemporary Jewelry Fair.