Renee Lewis

Renee was born in the Midwest-Salem, Ohio in 1949. In her own words, "I was bored out of my mind from my earliest memories. I was semi-popular with my peers because I always saw things differently than they did, but I was anything but popular with their parents or mine."

Renee always knew in her soul that she was an artist. She spent many years in frustration with school systems that did not cater to her creativity. And after a heart-breaking year working as a welfare auditor, Renee quit her job and started her own business. She drove up and down the Ohio river buying antiques out of mansions and estates of the Victorian era. 

After several years, she moved to New York City in 1980 and decided to pursue life as an artist, never anticipating becoming a jeweler. She started selling pieces she created at Artwear in SoHo in 1984. Next came Barneys New York in 1992. Renee started making fine jewelry using antique jewels that she rescued from their old, obscure mountings. "I loved the stones—they were from mines that have been closed for over a century—the colors and cuts unlike anything available today."

All of Renees' pieces are handmade, never cast. The quality of her pieces and her ideals are never compromised. Her original designs, which include asymmetrical shapes and she famous "shake" necklaces, have becomes favorites with collectors all over the world.  After living in Manhattan for 40 years with her husband and partner, Michael Spiritos, she returned to her roots in Ohio where she now restores historic buildings.