At the age of 13, Joanna Gollberg began making jewelry with fishing lures, beads, and (very heavy!) old coins. Later, her grandmother, a lifelong enamelist, gave her 19-year-old granddaughter an extensive collection of enamels and two large kilns. While in college, Joanna took a two-week course in enameling and basic jewelry at the Penland School of Crafts. This class changed the course of her life, leading her to become a professional jewelry designer and maker. In 1997, Joanna received a jewelry design degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Upon graduating, she founded Joanna Gollberg Jewelry and has been making and selling her designs at stores and galleries across the United States ever since.
Joanna teaches jewelry making at noted craft institutions, such as the Penland School of Crafts and Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts. Her jewelry has been published in Art Jewelry Magazine, Lapidary Journal, Ornament Magazine, 1000 Rings, 500 Wedding Rings, 500 Enameled Objects, and 21st Century Jewelry, among many other titles.
Joanna Gollberg operates out of an amazing studio in Asheville, North Carolina. The vibrant arts community in Asheville, the multitude of tools and materials in her studio, and the amazing colors and textures of rough and faceted gemstones serve as her design inspirations. Joanna loves to design and to work with her hands, ensuring that she is completely involved in the creation of each piece of colorful jewelry. Joanna's genuine love for materials and techniques makes her company unique. This passion is revealed in the fantastic jewelry that she creates. In addition, she was voted Best Jewelry Artist/Designer in Asheville for 2014.
