Born in rural Blue Hill, Maine, Fritz Pearce was influenced by the family jewelry business. After receiving his BFA in Jewelry Design from Rhode Island School of Design in 1996, Fritz moved to California. He worked five years for various designers, and honed his jewelry skills. In June of 2003, Fritz completed his studies as goldsmith Meister at the Goldschmiedeschule mit Uhrmacherschule in Pforzheim Germany.
Mischell Maldonado was born in San Francisco California. Growing up in the North Bay, she was deeply touched by the vibrations of nature. Mischell was influenced by the arts and began intuitively working with her hands at an early age. Fascinated by metalsmithing and tools, she decided to get a formal foundation from GIA in Carlsbad California, where she received her GJ, in 1997. Working for select jewelry designers and experiencing a wide spectrum of jewelry techniques, she made plans to begin her own studio.
In January of 2004, Fritz & Mischell began their partnership. Their collaboration on design and execution, enable them to harmoniously unite materials and technique, in a refreshing manner. They have developed a process, including such techniques as piercing, forming, fusing and stone setting, to create volumetric, wearable works of art. Gold, diamonds, natural gems, Pearls, sterling silver, 22K Bi-Metal, are all integral parts to their designs. These designs are inspired by symmetry as well as the order in chaos found throughout nature. This jewelry blends classic qualities from earlier periods while maintaining a unique vision and contemporary edge.
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