Painting Jewelry: The Magic of Lamp Black Gouache and Silver Etching

When you wear handmade jewelry, you’re not just wearing an accessory—you’re wearing a story. And for me, that story starts with paint.

I want to share a little behind-the-scenes peek at how I use Lamp Black gouache to create some of my favorite layered, bold pieces. Gouache is a unique medium—it shares some lovely qualities with watercolor, like a bit of translucency, but it also lets me get really rich, dark colors. That’s important because I wanted to achieve a piece with deep blacks that still had a sense of depth and movement.

 

Usually, I reach for India ink when I want a soft, thoroughly dark black. But this time, I wanted something different: to build up layers where you could see circles underneath circles, like the painting was alive with texture.

 

Lamp Black gouache made that possible. I could keep my layered look and get a rich black base. Then I topped it off with shimmer and silver etching—little details that catch the light and make the piece come alive.

 

The result? Earrings and accessories that feel like wearable art. Pieces where every brushstroke and layer is a small moment you get to carry with you.

So next time you pick up a pair of earrings, remember—they’re more than just jewelry. They’re a painting you can wear.