Who's in Gifted 2018? Smithstine Copper's Kristine MacDonald

Need a local gift? Shop Gifted 2018 the Edmonton Made catalogue. There are over 100 products featured in the catalogue by over 80 different Edmonton businesses. Below is a profile of one of them:

More likely to line the inside of power cables than to delicately hang from a woman’s neck, copper is jewelry maker Kristine MacDonald’s medium of choice. For the past five years, she has transformed the humble metal into precious pieces of prairie-inspired art — hand sawing, sanding, etching and polishing each element in her Edmonton studio.

MacDonald started working with copper while attending a community silversmithing class. Students often practice with the less expensive metal before moving into silver, but MacDonald loved the look and decided to carve herself a little niche by working exclusively with copper.

MacDonald’s designs often reflect life on the prairies. Wheat stocks elevate an outfit, while mountainscapes tie together a new suit and the North Saskatchewan River dances playfully across a neckline.