Archaea Studios

Archaea Studios is a handcrafted silver jewelry and sculpture studio exploring the forms that comprise nature's fundamental building blocks, focusing on structure, utility, and protection. "Archaea" refers to the oldest domain of life, encompassing organisms that thrive in Earth's most extreme environments. Designed and made by Jessica Shen, each jewelry “specimen” investigates the connective properties of various plants, bodies, and surreal environments.

Shen studied Industrial Design & Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, where she first began working with woods, foams and resins. After transitioning to digital design in tech, Shen missed the tactile experience of making and began taking courses at Brooklyn Metal Works. Primarily working in hand-carved wax and silver, Shen also experiments with CAD and printed resin casting. Shen is based in Brooklyn, NY.