Keith Lewis was not like your average six year old. At that age, he began collecting corn silk from the family garden and bits of broken glass. He imagined them to be like gold and diamonds. Growing up in Europe and Asia, he continued to be enthralled by jewelry. So much so that at 12 years old, he learned to cut gems in South Korea at a lapidary shop and to cast and construct jewelry shortly afterwards. He studied art at several universities and graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts in Goldsmithing from SUNY New Paltz in New York. Shortly after graduation, he participated in his first craft show and hasn’t stopped. In fact, Keith has had the opportunity to show his work in nearly every major craft exhibition in the United States. His Mica Pod earrings were chosen to be the logo for the 2010 Smithsonian Craft2Wear exhibition.

Keith has been making jewelry for more than 30 years. His pieces are available in hundreds of galleries across the country, as well as in France and Italy. He is also represented in the book 500 Gemstone Jewels (Lark, 2010), Best of Worldwide Jewelry Artists Vol. 1 (Kennedy 2011) and in the collection of the Cooper Hewitt Museum. According to Keith, his process for creating jewelry entails incorporating, “the materials, textures and surprises found in nature. I am currently using amber Mica which I layer with 23K gold-leaf, carving volcanic stone and Anthracite, which I inset with natural pearls and precious stones.

“In addition, I create my copper finishes using a Japanese technique called Hiirodo where I heat the finished copper shape until brightly glowing, then plunge it into boiling water to achieve a plum red appearance. In what I call the ‘Raku’ version of this patina, variations in the surface coloration are created by pressing the white-hot copper onto wood, causing flames and smoke which change what would have been an even, plum red finish into more organic tan and dark brown colors. The diverse materials I work with require a combination of goldsmithing techniques to turn them into a piece of finished jewelry.”

Keith is constantly experimenting with materials. In fact, he saw a company manufacturing a urethane board specifically for sign making (outdoor signs that look like they are made of wood, but don't weather). The board was made with about 240 water bottles. He found that they were extremely light – good for earrings. Moreover, it was perfect for his lacquer and acrylic paints. He uses a tiny 3" table saw to cut the board and then shape the pieces with fiber wheels. Consequently, Keith now has a line of earrings made from recycled water bottles. As part of his team, his daughter started painting the earrings.

“At the Reboli Center, we not only admire Keith’s beautiful designs and unique materials, but also that for more than 20 years he has been donating a portion of the sales for his ‘heart’ earrings to the Family of Woodstock. This organization provides shelter and services for victims of domestic violence. At shows, buyers of ‘heart’ earrings are given a SASE to send the full cost of the earrings directly to the shelter. He truly is a gem,” said Lois Reboli, founder and president of The Reboli Center.

The Reboli Center is located at 64 Main Street in Stony Brook, and is open Tuesday – Saturday from 11am to 5pm, and on Sunday 1pm to 5pm. Admission is free, and for more information, please call 631-751-7707.