Water Music Jewelry & Art is a store and workshop in Bayfield, Wisconsin, a small turn-of-the-century town nestled in the hills overlooking Lake Superior.  Our philosophy is simple.  Have fun and love what you do.

With that in mind, here's what we've discovered.  We've never met an ugly stone.  Sunlight through colored glass sends us.  Beads are too cool.  And silver?  Silver rules.

On any given day, you may find us sorting through antique buttons to turn into jewelry.  Or hammering a sterling wedding band.  Or beading over 100 seed bead loops onto a woven bracelet (yikes!).  Or maybe we're working with a customer to design a setting for a Lake Superior green stone.

WMJA opened its doors in September 1997, when bead artist Mary Gardner left the Twin Cities and corporate America to follow the beauty path. She hasn’t looked back.

Our staff includes a silversmith and local artists. We also represent local, regional and national jewelry artists. Here’s a sampling:

Ron Benson of Benson Glass Art, Duluth, MN

Andrew Bugher of Andrew Bugher Design, Minneapolis, MN and Bayfield
Andy says: I apprenticed five years at a high end Minneapolis jewelry gallery based in the Dominican Republic. It catered to a large international clientele and exposed me to top Italian, German and Swiss designers. They were producing some of the highest quality work I had ever seen. I was impressed by their use of the finest materials and their attention to design, weight and texture....I try to emphasize these qualities in every piece I create. These experiences and influences have inspired the evolution of my polished, urban style of jewelry.

Natasha Cvek of Eclipse Designs, Cornucopia, WI

Mary Gardner, owner of Water Music
Mary says: So many beads, so little time! My work and my gallery reflect my passion for bringing beauty to people. I love working with pattern, texture, color, and shape. I also love creating jewelry uses for non-jewelry items, such as antique buttons, and giving them new life for a new generation to appreciate.

Monica Hansmeyer of Seven Sister Design, Turtle River, MN
Monica says: I am the youngest sister of seven. I live in Turtle River, a strange yet beautiful spot in northern Minnesota. Texture, unique stones, simplicity, and chance are all connected to my jewelry. I love the combination of age-old techniques, creative expression, and adornment. Each piece of jewelry is hand-made and many are one of a kind!

Barbara Bean Hughes of BBH Designs, Minneapolis, MN
Barbara says: Most of my time is spent as a psychologist. Creating jewelry is a form of self therapy. I always hope that the peace, creative distraction, and relaxation I experience while making each piece is somehow passed on to the person who wears it.

Mariah Jeske of Black Ice Beads, Duluth, MN
Marian says: I chose this name because I’ve been figure skating for over 13 years, and been a member of sychronized skating teams in both Minnesota and Michigan for the last 10 years...I attend the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and my course of study is Outdoors Education/Recreation. When I am not studying, I am usually sitting with my beads strewn about, and my hands busy creating new works of art. I enjoy combining colors and different techniques to design unique pieces of jewelry.

Donalee Kennedy of Donalee Designs, Bayfield, WI & Green Valley, AZ
Donalee says: Working with the beauty of gemstones is a passion for me and I appreciate everything about them. Having collected stones since I was about three years old, I feel like they are old friends. Each stone is different, so each piece has its own personality....I have been making jewelry professionally since 1989, and every day I learn something new! I’ve had a multifaceted career prior to my jewelry business, and now I am putting all my experiences together and offering them to you in the form of wearable art.

Lori Michel of LoLyn Designs, Port Washington, WI
Lori says: I have always loved observing design and form as well as constructing things. As a kid, this made for some interesting projects! As an adult, I am able to express this by creating jewelry. Silver being the primary metal of choice, I love to use texture, both on the front as well as the back.... When it comes to stones...deciding how to use them is truly the exciting part.... Some stones are unique, while others may be considered "common," but to me they all have their own beauty and I enjoy being able to showcase that beauty with my handmade pieces.

Jay Nielsen of Jay Nielsen Jewelry, Minneapolis, MN

Susan Richter O’Connell of r.o.c. Formations, Sheboygan, WI

Danny Saathoff of Danny Saathoff Designs, Minneapolis, MN

Robin Shilman of Robin Shilman Designs, Washburn, WI
Robin says: Shiny, sparkly objects attract my eye. The beaded pieces I create are a mix of semi-precious stones, vintage glass, my handmade lamp work glass, or dichroic glass combined in contemporary pieces that appeal to all ages.

Next time you find yourself in northern Wisconsin, please stop by to visit. We're worth the trip.