Designer Profile: John S. Brana Distinctive Jewelry
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John S. Brana is Northern California. His jewelry design reflects the heavy arts culture of the area. He gets his inspiration from the nature that surrounds him in his natural habitat. Even some of the names of his design lines are taken from famous neighborhoods and regions of the San Francisco Bay Area – he pays homage to Pacific Heights, Sea Cliff, and even SoMa.
The resulting pieces are an amazingly accurate representation of the designer, as well as the homeland that he holds so near and dear to his heart.
Days of Wine and Roses
His Sonoma line is inspired by the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Sonoma wine country. The jewelry in this line is reminiscent of bunches of grapes, ripe for the picking. One look at any of these pieces, and you’re whisked away to a wine tasting for the eyes – and soul.
Head for the Hills
The Nob Hill line was born after many treks through the hilly streets of historic Nob Hill in San Francisco. Every home is protected by gates of intricate iron scrollwork, which inspired Brana to design delicate scrolls, hand-fashioned from tendrils of silver filigree. What adorns beautiful homes in Nob Hill is now jewelry can now adorn beautiful women everywhere.
The Art of… Fishing?
Monterey is noted for two things: art and fishing. Brana has considered these two seemingly irreconcilable trades and created jewelry that incorporates both. The Italian metal mesh is reminiscent of fishing nets, but the design is clearly artful. These pieces are more than just a clever nod to the Monterey fisheries – they’re also wearable art.
Brana used to work in the legal and banking professions, most recently as a VP of Finance for Charles Schwab. But his artist father’s death in 2003 caused him to reevaluate his priorities, and he decided to pursue his true love – artisan crafts, specifically jewelry design.
And so many people benefit from this decision: jewelry aficionados, the art world, the San Francisco Bay Area – and especially the jewelry designer himself.
Inspired,
Olivia
