Dianna Badalament, Dianna B Designs, & Her Future Coalition

Planting the Seeds of Hope Through Jewelry  

Dianna Badalament’s jewelry is a seamless fusion of the organic and rustic elements of nature and urban grit and industrial aesthetics, reflecting her own history and winding journey to Sonoma wine country.  A native of New York state, Dianna’s love for jewelry began as a child on the shores of Long Island, combing the beaches and pulling together shells and bits of treasures into necklaces and adornments. An elective jewelry making class in high school introduced her to work with a jeweler’s torch and the challenge of molding metals into objects of beauty, but she didn’t immediately connect with the idea of jewelry design as a career path. After completing her B.A. at the University at Albany, New York, she pursued a corporate path, spending years working in the public relations field in New York City and San Francisco. Feeling worn down by the confines of office life, she found herself drawn to the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe – and, as an avid skier, carefree days on the slopes. It was here that she met her husband, freestyle skier-now winemaker Jeff Restel. When Jeff began working toward his degree in viticulture and enology, Dianna seized the opportunity to rekindle her passion for jewelry making,   specifically goldsmithing. While studying classical techniques of metalworking at Jewelry Arts Institute in New York City and learning under Alan Revere at the Revere Academy of the Jewelry Arts in San Francisco, she truly felt that she had found her passion, and the idea for Dianna B Designs was born.  Read the full article here…