Chains of fame Chains of fame (August 12, 2005)

Palo Alto native sees her jewelry designs shine on the small screen

by Patricia Bass

Although each teenage character on the hit TV show "The O.C." is a bit of a rebel, Alex Kelly, played by Olivia Wilde, tops them all. She's a teen runaway and a sullen tattooed bisexual barista.

Who would have guessed that a character that wild would sport jewelry designed by a native Palo Alto artist, from a jewelry line that's been described as "heartfelt"?

The necklaces, chokers and rings that Alex wears on four episodes were crafted by Amy Peters, a designer who was born, raised and inspired in Palo Alto. Like most of Peters' work, Alex's trademark necklace, several metal beads on a brass ball chain, contains a positive message on each bead -- "heart," "journey," and "paradise" -- and a simple design.

Sold in small shops such as Thistle on Waverley Street in Palo Alto for between $20 and $60, Peters' works are created in wax and then cast in bronze and reproduced. Her designs usually sport such words as "sing," "believe" and "wisdom" etched onto metal beads and pendants.

Peters said several celebrities are fans of her jewelry, such as Halle Berry and Courteney Cox Arquette, whose "Thank you" notes grace her Web site.

The uplifting tone of Peters' jewelry stems from her parents, she said. They raised her amid inspirational posters and sayings in their Palo Alto home, where they continue to live today.

"It sounds silly, but I never realized that other people did not grow up this way," Peters said. "I want my jewelry to provide inspiration for people who were not surrounded by it in their own homes."

The message is usually the reason that people buy the jewelry, according to Rebecca Mandich, co-owner of Thistle.

"Usually people buy this who want to send a very personal, female message to a friend or relative," Mandich said. "Females give the jewelry to other females, and it spans all ages."

Peters began creating jewelry at the age of 7, when she started enameling -- applying a glossy finish to homemade ceramic jewelry -- in an after-school program at the Mitchell Park Community Center. When her pieces were chosen for a show at the Palo Alto Art Center, she realized how much she loved that art form.

From there, she moved on to a casting class, where she made molds of wax and plaster and filled them with other materials; and then an adult school fabricating class, where she assembled jewelry from a variety of materials.

"I still hold strong ties to Palo Alto," Peters said. "My parents have lived at Corina Way since 1965, and all of our old family friends still live there, so I visit a lot."

After graduation, Peters attended California Polytechnic State University, and then San Francisco State University when she realized she wanted a degree in jewelry design. Finally, after several years of work in nursing and other fields, Peters moved to San Luis Obispo, where she rented out a shed in the back of a Victorian mansion as her studio.

During her time there, she "worried about selling enough jewelry to pay the $75-a-month rent," she said. It was then that Peters got her big break. An article was written about her in "Ornament" magazine. With the popularity that ensued, she was able to create a thriving company.

Peters says one of her most meaningful experiences was when a participant on the television show "Survivor," Elisabeth Filarski, wore one of her necklaces.

"Her parents gave it to her to follow her dreams, and that is what my jewelry is all about," Peters said. "It has the spirit of whatever inspiration you want to get from it."

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