Zuzana Korbelarova

My path began in Prague, Czech Republic. I grew up in one of the most ancient cities of Europe, surrounded by centuries of art and architecture, the old and manmade amazing me at every step.

In my adult life I found my home in the Pacific Northwest, immersing myself in the rugged beauty of the outdoors and the unrestrained imagination of nature. Both of these contrasting surroundings influence my creative vision on a deep level, playing a major role in my design process. The organic, feminine, understated beauty of nature blends together with the industrial, masculine and manmade in the jewelry I create.​
Art has always been a big part of my life, I have been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember, but jewelry making is a newly discovered passion. My husband discovered it for me when he finally gave up the search for the perfect piece of jewelry to gift to me on my birthday, and gave me a set of jewelry tools with some silver wire to make my own. This opened a whole new world of creative outlet and I found myself enthralled in the puzzle of manipulating metal and stone. I started creating jewelry that I would want to wear, and soon realized that I was not the only one wanting to wear it…that is how Zuzko jewelry was born.

All Zuzko designs are created with great thought and deliberation to the materials, textures, colors and movement. Some designs highlight the color and uniqueness of Semi-precious gemstones, while others feature mostly metal, with the subtle sparkle of Swarovski crystals as the backdrop. I work primarily in Sterling Silver, which I patina and polish for the feel of jewelry that has been worn and loved for a long time. Each and every piece is hand forged and fabricated in my studio on Vashon Island.​