FIRE FORGED TALISMANS FOR A COMPLEX WORLD
ABOUT SAGE + EMBER
Sage + Ember's Story
Sage + Ember's Process
Sage + Ember's Story
My name is Liza Hamilton, and I design every piece of jewelry for my small business, Sage + Ember.
The inspiration for my work began with my first art teacher—my grandmother. Though largely forgotten by society, she was an extraordinary artistic force: a close friend of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and the associate of Mark Rothko at Par
My name is Liza Hamilton, and I design every piece of jewelry for my small business, Sage + Ember.
The inspiration for my work began with my first art teacher—my grandmother. Though largely forgotten by society, she was an extraordinary artistic force: a close friend of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and the associate of Mark Rothko at Parsons School of Design.
As a child, she would lift me up to see her intricate collages, paintings, and jewelry, teaching me that great design is born from the harmony of originality, technique, and meaning. From her, I learned that art is not about replicating life, but about distilling its beauty and complexity into a powerful visual narrative or symbol. She taught me to forge my own ideas—and that art is a sacred gift that outlasts the artist.
Over the years, other family members and dear friends—jewelers, painters, spiritual teachers, and designers—have also nurtured my growth and helped me find my creative voice. I am profoundly grateful to them all.
Sage + Ember is the convergence of that love, inspiration, and support. It reflects years spent mastering design, composition, and painting, as well as years devoted to cultivating a strong spiritual foundation through healing, prayer, and meditation. My pieces are inspired by the interplay of nature, spirituality, and modernist design—each one infused with deep symbolism.
I see my jewelry as modern talismans—prayers for the wearer, forged in fire and sealed in metal. I hope you find something on my site that speaks to you—and that wearing it makes you feel loved, empowered, and inspired.
The Designer
Sage + Ember's Process
Sage + Ember's Story
Liza Hamilton lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with her husband and their two rescue chihuahuas. A lifelong devotee of the arts, she’s explored many creative languages—painting, graphic design, filmmaking, theatre, voice, ballet, guitar, and metalsmithing. Her formal studies include studies at Pinellas County Center for the Arts (an arts
Liza Hamilton lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with her husband and their two rescue chihuahuas. A lifelong devotee of the arts, she’s explored many creative languages—painting, graphic design, filmmaking, theatre, voice, ballet, guitar, and metalsmithing. Her formal studies include studies at Pinellas County Center for the Arts (an arts conservatory high school), a BFA in Film Studies from the University of Utah, a Certificate in Graphic Design Fundamentals from the Maryland Institute College of Art, an MLA from Johns Hopkins University, and an MPH in Health Communication from George Washington University. She has also taken classes or workshops with incredible figure painters Each discipline, along with the many artists that have inspired her, has shaped the way she sees form, story, and beauty in the world.
Sage + Ember's Process
Sage + Ember's Process
Sage + Ember's Process
Each Sage + Ember design begins with hours of sketching—shaping and refining each form until it becomes so beautiful and full of meaning that it simply refuses to stay in my (Liza’s) sketchbook. From there, I spend several hours hand-carving each piece in Ferris wax, a medium used in the ancient art of lost-wax casting.
These delicate wax
Each Sage + Ember design begins with hours of sketching—shaping and refining each form until it becomes so beautiful and full of meaning that it simply refuses to stay in my (Liza’s) sketchbook. From there, I spend several hours hand-carving each piece in Ferris wax, a medium used in the ancient art of lost-wax casting.
These delicate wax carvings are then entrusted to Snell Casting, where a team of skilled and loving artisans transform them into metal using the same time-honored technique. Every step, from the first pencil line to the final polish, is guided by care and intention.
I believe that if these pieces are to serve as a source of healing and strength for those who wear them, then love must infuse every part of their creation. It is the reason these pieces are heavier than many on the market - a talisman should be strong and powerful to stand the test of time and they should feel like a loving hug around the neck.