The maker
Hi, I'm Gale.
I turn forgotten flatware into jewelry people wear every day. Every piece starts with a story that already exists — I just give it a new chapter.
How it started
It began with a drawer. My grandmother's silverware — mismatched, tarnished, and too beautiful to throw away. I didn't want to store it forever, but I couldn't let it go either. So I started bending.
That first spoon ring was rough. But it was mine, and it was hers, and wearing it felt like carrying something forward. I made one for my sister. Then a friend asked for one. Then a stranger at a market stopped me to ask where I got my bracelet.
AddiOaks Designs grew from there — slowly, intentionally, one piece at a time. I'm still a one-woman shop working out of my home studio, and I still love every step of the process.
How I work
Finding the flatware
I source vintage silverware from estate sales, thrift stores, and family collections. The older and more ornate, the better — the patterns are what make each piece unique.
Shaping by hand
Every piece is bent, hammered, and shaped entirely by hand. No molds, no casting. The metal has memory — I work with it, not against it.
Finishing and polishing
Once shaped, each piece is cleaned, polished, and inspected. I want it to look like jewelry, not a bent spoon — though knowing it was a spoon is part of the charm.
Sent to you
Each order is wrapped by hand and shipped with a note about the flatware it came from — the pattern name, the era, and anything else I know about its history.
What I believe
Nothing should be wasted
Vintage flatware is everywhere — and most of it ends up in landfills. Every piece I make is one less thing thrown away.
Slow is better
I don't batch-produce. Each ring, necklace, and cuff gets my full attention. That takes time, and I think that's exactly right.
The story matters
The best jewelry has history. Mine has two — the flatware's past, and yours going forward.
Want something made just for you?
Custom orders are always open. Bring your own flatware or describe what you're imagining — Gale will take it from there.