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Lisa Krikawa
Designer, Founder, Business Manager
Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Lisa Krikawa moved to the United States in 1976. In 1997 she graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, with emphasis in jewelry and metalsmithing. Her jewelry is inspired by historic and futuristic forms, influences that stem from Lisa's studies in traditional and contemporary styles of jewelry and metalsmithing, as well as her studies in art history. Lisa Krikawa is an award-winning mokume gane artist, and is recognized world wide as one of the leading mokume ring makers. With clients from Australia through the U.K. to Canada and all across the 50 United States, Krikawa has quite singularly nailed the mokume-gane bridal market with her client-inspired, co-created, one-of-a-kind masterpieces.
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Lisa & John, Married 1990
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John Krikawa
Master Modeller and Information Technologist
John Krikawa is a Technologist and Artist at Krikawa Jewelry Designs. John has been interested in computer graphics and design since 1985. He attended the University of Arizona, College of Electrical Engineering where he was able to further explore his outstanding computer abilities. He has a special affinity for the combination of visual arts and computer graphics. In 2004, he joined Krikawa Jewelry Designs, Inc. and has been performing CAD/CAM modeling of Lisa Krikawa's ring designs. John has received numerous awards from GemVision for technical modeling and artistic rendering.
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LeCarie Whitfield
Chief Financial & Operations Officer
LeCarie joined the Krikawa team in February 2013. LeCarie's diverse experience as a seasoned attorney, mediator, and business coach are aligned with Krikawa’s corporate vision and values. It is "particularly exciting to work alongside my sister-in-law, Lisa Krikawa, in growing and developing Krikawa.com and the local brick-and-mortar studio," LeCarie says. "We mastermind like the Wonder Twins!" In her spare time, LeCarie serves as Associate Faculty for the University of Phoenix local campus in Southern Arizona. LeCarie holds a BA from California State University and a JD from University of Notre Dame.
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Patrick Swartz
CAD Modeler
Pat brings to Krikawa the skills and experience gained from his long career as an industrial CAD designer, product developer, and scale model builder for off-shore technologies. His in-depth industrial experience is tempered by his highly artistic nature. He is a guitarist, composer, inventor and the mastermind of the Jam Kat and FLiP!, spring-loaded guitar pick holders on which he holds world-wide patent rights. Lisa is particularly thrilled at Pat's addition to the team because he is also her older brother. Lisa and Pat possess a collaborative energy that invigorates and inspires new designs regularly and smile knowingly when asked about how they feel about working on rings together. |
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Cindy Sumner
Production Manager & Goldsmith
Cindy is a native Tucsonan, and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Arizona, with an emphasis in metalsmithing. She has participated in numerous shows and gallery exhibitions with her unique work as well as teaming up with her sister Wendy Sumner to create the unique and unusual jewelry of SisterBloc. The shop at Krikawa is her happy domain where the quality and beauty of each piece of jewelry is her mission.
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Stephanie Aguilar
Sales & Design Consultant
Stephanie, born and raised in Tucson, has a soft spot for the multicultural diversity the Bay Area exposed to her during her ten years growing up there. California College of the Arts and Crafts is where she began her education; she then returned home to attain a BFA from The University of Arizona in fine art photography, with a minor in Latin American studies. Her professional experience ranges from a legal assistant to wholesale gemstone rep to insurance account executive. However, working in an art gallery has always been a dream of hers, as well as developing downtown's local art scene. She has also made custom beaded jewelry for over 10 years and is excited to be a part of the Krikawa design team. |
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Marty Sanchez
Client Services
Martha Sanchez, better known as Marti here at the gallery, is a Tucson native of the Old Pueblo. She has an affection for creativity and practices her passion as a freelance hair designer. She graduated from Tucson College of Beauty's Cosmetologist program and has won several local Hair Fashion show awards as an artist. As part of the Krikawa team, Marti is responsible for the shipping and receiving of packages, and also forms part of the client services department. As she delivers her utmost best in customer care, she successfully touches more hearts than hair. |
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Todd Richards
Master Goldsmith
Todd's passion for jewelry began in high school, where he learned lost wax casting and metalsmithing. At Diablo Valley College, he took classes in business, as well as metallurgy, welding and fabrication. He also studied at the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts before eventually opening Todd Richards Fine Jewelry. In the 2000s, Todd took a break from jewelry, moved to Tucson from California, and taught at The International Airline Training Academy at Ryan Field. Prior to Krikawa, he was employing his jewelry skills in the repair and calibration of precision optical and laser instruments. Todd is thrilled to return to the bench, and is determined "to make a positive contribution to the procurement of fine jewelry and the future growth of Krikawa"! |
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Jill Isachsen
Master Goldsmith
Jill graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, MO with a BFA in metalsmithing and jewelry, and a minor in geological sciences. She has earned Graduate Gemologist Certification from the Gemological Institute of America and has also taken GIA's Beginning and Advanced Stone Setting Workshops. She established her custom jewelry manufacturing business, Chrysalis Design, in 1985, and moved to Tucson in 1994. She is proud to be a member of the Krikawa team, recognized as a high integrity business, manufacturing jewelry of superior quality. |
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Erika Weston
Shop Assistant
Erika's job is to ensure that the workshop runs smoothly. This includes organizing the client jobs for the jewelers, preparing waxes, maintaining equipment, as well as mokume patterning. Erika is originally from South Florida, and has been making jewelry since age nineteen. Having visited Tucson before for the gem shows, Erika finally moved here two years ago from Miami. Before Krikawa, she was doing jewelry repair and some custom gold and silver bench work. She is most excited about working with mokume because it is a new addition to her creative skill set! |
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