Rifé Jewelry

Robin Rifé and the One that Got Away

Robin Rifé's jewelry is one of a kind. Each piece is unique, and she doesn't repeat. This can actually cause a great deal of heartache, at times.

"There was this one necklace," recalled Wedge Worldwide's Coordinator, former Wedge General Merchandise buyer and admirer of Rifé's work, Shannon Nixon, with real regret in her voice. "It had sandalwood beads and this unusual glass and stone pendant with Sanskrit writing on it. I was wearing it around the store and people were like THAT is an amazing necklace. But I decided to wait, I didn't get it, and, someone else bought it."

Poor Shannon. But her pain is Rifé's stock and trade, harsh as that may sound. I make it how I make it, is how Rifé puts it, and with thirteen years as a jeweler under her belt, she prides herself on not making the same piece of jewelry twice.

"A long time ago, I was trying to sell some of my jewelry to a franchise gift shop," Rifé said. "They were very particular about 'season.' I mean, I make it how I make it, I don't care about what time of year it is, but the franchise wanted 'spring.' Or they wouldn't buy red stones in summer. Or they'd find a piece they liked and [the buyer] would say, 'Can you do this thirty more times? Exactly like this?' And I was like no, I do one of a kind and that's what makes it of value."

Upon seeing her artwork, most customers immediately connect with Rifé's dedication to uniqueness. Each piece of jewelry is a solo treasure and her work as a whole is eclectic, archetypal - but traditional, in its way, too. Drawing on influences from Navajo to Indonesian craftspeople, Rifé said that traditional tribal jewelry moves her the most.

"People have been adorning themselves from the beginning, and tribal jewelry often represents the entire wealth that that family has," said Rifé. "I'm drawn to jewelry that's maybe made in a crude manner and passed down for the sake of tradition, because tradition is such a strong part of what we are."

Rifé caught the bug for jewelry when she lived in New Mexico, working with raw silver, turquoise and coral, and slowly acquiring her skills working with them. "I was a little hippie girl making stuff for friends, but, then, as I worked with Native American jewelers, I learned better techniques which really gave me the chops. It's rare to find folks who actually KNOW how to string a piece and make it last for a hundred years."

Eventually, Rifé became good enough to work with a jewelry company called Ancient Sun, which employed traditional jewelry-making techniques that matched her own goals as an artist. On behalf of the owner, she ran that company for six years before moving to the Twin Cities and starting her own business.

Though her days as an apprentice may be over, Rifé continues to gather new techniques while traveling the globe. She teaches herself traditional jewelry making techniques by nosing in the obscure markets of Nepal or India and deliberately buying old, broken pieces of jewelry to purchase and disassemble ("I call it cannibalizing," Rifé laughed). In a Nepalese market, for example, she bought some pieces of jewelry in order to "cannibalize" and learn that she guesses were probably a few hundred years old.

"You learn a lot, taking something apart. The construction methods were so incredible. Simple, yes, but, oh, the way they were tying the knots, laying them perfectly. And they just used their hands and handmade string," Rifé explained.

Rifé believes that learning the oldest ways is important if an artist wants to make something that lasts beyond the current season.

"The closer you can get to doing something in a traditional way, the more timeless and long-lasting it will be. That's heirloom quality," Rifé said. "A mother could pass that piece of jewelry to her daughter. And that's the kind of jewelry I make."

Customers have responded and Rifé has a large and loyal following in the Twin Cities. She believes this is because, unlike New York which found her work too "funky," Minneapolis is good to local artists like her who create one-of-a-kind jewelry.

"I know how lucky I am," Rifé said. "My customers here have rolled with my stylistic changes - and I have changed over last six years. Only Minneapolis could support a jeweler like me. This town is very loyal to local artists."

Now, the whole country can order Rifé's jewelry through Wedge Worldwide. The Wedge's online store acts as Rifé's online retailer, offering the widest selection of her work available on the internet and shipping to customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. As always, each piece remains unique, traditional and built to last with heirloom quality. When a piece of Rifé's is sold, the image of it is removed from Wedge Worldwide.

Rifé admitted this is a very unusual step for her. This is the artist who didn't want to wholesale her work, after all. "Only the Wedge could convince me to do this," Rifé said. "I'm ONLY a co-op shopper, so I'm proud to have my work in a co-op."

As for loyal customer Shannon and her coveted Sanskrit necklace, did she get another? Did Rifé make her a necklace to replace the one she failed to buy in time? Shannon tried her best.

"I described the necklace and I said to Robin, 'Can you please make another for me?' But she was like, 'Sorry, Shannon, I make a piece of jewelry and then it's done.'"

Yet with more of Rifé's jewelry coming online, surely Shannon can find a gorgeous replacement for that Sanskrit pendant? Shannon doesn't think so.

"I have totally kicked myself for not buying it," she lamented. "It still pains me, actually."

And that might be the finest compliment a maker of one-of-a-kind jewelry can be paid.