314 Studio

314 Studio
CHIHIRO MAKIO always loved creating precious little things, even from an early age.

At first she thought she would become a painter and started college as a studio-art major. While there she discovered great fun and endless possibilities with three-dimensional materials. She learned how to work with wood, fiber, and metal. Transferring to a different school gave her the opportunity to meet another material: glass. She completed a bachelor‘s fine art degree at the Massachusetts College of Art as a glass major with a minor in small metals/jewelry.

She started her small business as a jewelry artist in 2002.

Simple, yet interesting jewelry is what she likes to create. Chihiro believes the most basic shapes such as circles and squares can be very interesting if they have character. She creates something interesting and pleasing to the eye and skin, by combining different shapes and textures of her metal materials. The colors she uses are often glass seed beads and sequins, and they are as beautiful as precious stones. Chiriro feels that it’s technique and labor that makes her handcrafted jewelry valuable, not so much the value of precious stones. She also wants her pieces to be worn, so she pays great attention to its shape, weight and volume so that the wearer can be totally comfortable while wearing it.

Earring Girl loves that Chihiro’s pieces are at once hard and soft… Metal with heart!