Jean combines her love of color and the desire to be working with her hands by choosing to marry the metals, silver, brass, copper, nickel silver, Japanese alloys shibuichi and shakudo and yes, even different colored gold in bold geometric designs. She also combines them with her own lamp-worked beads and extensive collection of semi-precious and precious gemstones. An avid collector of all things colorful and beautiful, she cruises the local gem shows looking for interesting stones.

"I can’t seem to get enough of colorful objects in my life and I find the marriage of metals to be an intriguing use of color and materials.  As I continue to learn more about the materials I am using, I expect that I will continue to find more and more pleasure in working with my hands. I work in many different mediums, marriage of metals, etching, enamels, mokume gane, pierce work, and hollow work. My studio is my refuge from the world". 

One of her techniques is called "Mokume Gane" meaning “wood grained metal” in Japanese and is an ancient technique, dating back to feudal times and is used traditionally in Japanese swords for decoration as well as in vessels. A variety of metals, compatible metals such as silver, copper, brass and the Japanese copper based alloys, shibuichi and shakudo, are “laminated” in a forge. After the metals are combined, either twisting them in a vise or using different drills, the different random patterns are created.

Jean is also a business instructor at the Culinary Institute of America. Her jewelry has been shown in many arts and craft shows throughout the New York region and at galleries in Woodstock, NY.