Woman Metalsmith: Playing with Fire
Sari Rae is a metalsmith from Maine. She built her own business and creates beautiful metal and stone jewelry. She talked to us about the art of metal bending, the stereotypes of the profile, and the joys of being your own boss.
“I like the idea of something as simple as a gold band. I’ll put it together, it’s a precious metal, it will sustain the test of time. I like knowing that it will last.” ponders Sari when asked about why metalsmithing. “I want something that you can just pop on, no stone, just metal, and go on a hike, go on an adventure,”.
Sari Rae lives in Maine, right by the ocean, with her boyfriend and their two dogs. Two years ago, she took the plunge, went all in, and created her own business. She’s a metalsmith, working on creating beautiful metal and stone jewelry.
The call of entrepreneurship
Sari always knew she wanted to do something on her own, but she wasn’t really sure what it was. Growing up, she had a lot of different interests: sailing, marine biology, business…
Her parents owned a small business when she was young, a seasonal seafood restaurant.
“I grew up in the small business world, I knew how it worked, I understood the ins and outs of what it really takes. And I thought, ok I love the idea, but that’s a lot of work”.
She decided to try out corporate life for a while, see what it was like. She worked as an assistant corporate merchant, which was super fun. “But it also made it clear for me: that was not my path. Working for someone, being told what to do: not my thing” she laughs.
Then she worked for a very small company, just the owner and herself. And while they worked and hustled, she realized, ok, I think I can do it.
She officially started her jewelry business in January 2019, and truly went to work fully for herself in October.
The path to metal
October was the perfect starting point because it was a holiday. There were a bunch of pop-up markets where Sari was constantly busy. She started out with simple metal jewelry. Then she got into polymer clay, a huge trend that she caught early.
“I had a really cool booth where you could build your own. You picked up your pieces and I would make them then and there. It was super fun, super interactive. I loved getting the person behind the jewelry involved in the process”.
But very soon the market was supersaturated, and she came back to her first drive and passion, which was always metalsmithing, working with stones, gold, and silver.
The techniques and the craft she learned as she went. One of her first job in high school was metalsmithing. “I worked with an amazing metalsmith right in my hometown. He showed me the ropes, taught me how to solder. I was 15, it was a long time ago, but it really stuck with me”.
So in 2019, she started with very simple things, right in her apartment. “I was doing all of my solder and polishing in my bathtub! Because it was the safest place for me to do it” she chuckles happily.
When her interest grew, she dove headfirst. Bought a torch, new material. She followed the online course of one of her favorite mentors in the metalsmithing community. She had the knowledge already, but she gained confidence.
As for the stones, sourcing them is one of her favorite parts of the job. “I work with a handful of people that I’ve come to love. I try to be as environmentally friendly as possible. I want to know where everything that I buy is coming from. With my jewelry, I only work with recycled sterling silver and gold”.
Don’t get distracted by the chatter
As for being your own boss, it’s scary. You have to figure out a lot of things for yourself. “I grew up in a small business, so I had a base knowledge. But if I was going to do something I was going to do it on my own. I didn’t ask too many questions to my parents. I know they are there to support me and encourage me, but I wanted it to truly come from my soul, be created by me, and I feel ten times more empowered that I’ve done it all, and I’m still here”.
Having 2020 be her first year of business has been tough, but has also taught her much. “You have to be adaptive, you have to roll the punches and think on your toes. Life’s not easy, you just go with it, you have to make the best of it and figure it out”.
The hardest thing for her was to stay focused on herself, and the things she was trying to achieve.
“You go on Instagram and you just get sucked in, you look at 25 other people in 30 seconds doing the same thing as you are. During the pandemic, it seems that everyone started a side hustle or side jobs, and they all want to be freelancers or graphic designers. Which is good, find your passion. But it’s also been distracting” she ponders.
For Sari, you have to stay focused on what you want to do, get the word out. “Keep your eyes forward, keep going and stay true to yourself”.
A woman in the metalsmith world
Another thing that has been tough is the whole “metalsmith” macho stereotype thing.
“A lot of people don’t really take me seriously, and that’s also a huge issue for me. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it well. So I’ll come to the table with all the facts, and then in my head, that way they can’t say no”.
And yet. Sari has been stood up by a number of people. Accountants for one. “I call to describe what’s going on and they’re like, oh, how cute, what a fun hobby” and then never show up for the meeting. “One of them RETIRED in the middle of doing my taxes and didn’t tell me!” she laughs in disbelief.
Or when she walks in hardware stores, to buy propane oxygen tanks to work with. And they ask “oh, you need the one when you want to go camping?” she sighs.
But thankfully, the online metalsmith community she’s a part of is very cool, with lots of females. “I love it. We always joke about stuff like that. Like “girls with long hair, make sure you tie it back so you don’t wrap it up around your tools”, or “I’ve just done my nails, let’s see how dirty we can get them”.”
No thanks
That’s why, Sari’s motto for this whole year and going forward has been, “No thanks”. She even had little cards made with it, to give out at stands and slip in order packages. “It’s just really about saying no to negative energy” she points out.
“When I was working corporate I just drove one morning and asked why I am doing this? Why I am driving to this job that I hate? No thanks, that’s not for me. You just have to have the courage to say “no thanks” because there’s something out there that’s better for you”.
If you want something, you have to go get it, put your energy into it, work hard, don’t take no for an answer. “You are responsible for your life. Just go and do it”.
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