Jeweler Tanya Cherepova of Merrimack

Let your personal adornments be conversation starters

Tanya Cherepova, of Merrimack, is an American artist of Ukrainian origin. With a Master of Science degree and computer programming as her first career, she let her lifelong passion for art transform her creative direction to jewelry art.

She attended classes at the Brookfield Craft Center in Connecticut to learn metalsmithing and stone-setting skills under the tutelage of Annemarie Ciuffini, Italian jeweler and stone setter. She continued her education at the New Hampshire Institute of Art where the jewelry instructor, Joy Raskin, called Tanya the “Texture Queen” for her love of surface design. In addition to the formal education, she learned from old and contemporary masters in European, Asian and American design traditions via travels around the world.

Now with a portfolio of 3,500-plus designs, including commission work, limited editions and one-of-a kind pieces, she continues to work mostly in gold, sterling and a combination of these metals, including gold-silver bimetal for affordability.

Her work varies in style from delicate flowers to geometric combinations to abstract curvilinear shapes. Pieces are delicately cut and multi-textured for a simple but complex look with inspiration from the curves of nature. Additionally, she pierces the metal freehand with a jewelry saw or German jeweler’s bur, creating signature linear design elements.

Making the most of metal, she developed her own technique for creating an instant patina on sterling silver. Using a slower process and controlling the chemical concentration allows the turn of color from yellow to blue to purple to black that she can stop at the desired moment.

Tanya’s motto “Always Different!” emphasizes her design approach: Jewelry is not only a nice ornament, but, first of all, a unique way to express your individuality through a wearable piece of art. “I like to collaborate with my clients and address their unique needs,” she adds.

As a League of New Hampshire Craftsmen juried member she regularly exhibits at the League’s gallery in Concord and the annual Sunapee Fair in August. Find her work also at League retail shops in Center Sandwich, Concord, Hanover, Littleton, Nashua, North Conway and other New England galleries. Works can also be viewed at crealm.com and at Tanya’s showroom by appointment only. Prices range from $55 to $250. Tanya Cherepova, (603) 930-5686