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When World War I veteran Stuart Nye bought a few second-hand tools and a small supply of sterling silver in 1933, he had no idea his jewelry-making business would last 91 years. Stuart Nye Hand Wrought Jewelry closes for good on December 20. The historic building on Tunnel Road in East Asheville that currently houses the workbenches, chisels, anvils, hammers and memories will be sold.
Originally from New England, Nye wound up in a veteran’s hospital in Asheville after the war. He decided to stay and used trial and error to create affordable jewelry adorned with metal leaves and flowers, such as dogwood, calla lilies and trillium. The original dogwood jewelry was made in silver. The company added copper during the metal shortage of World War II and brought in brass when the price of silver exploded in 1979-’80.
Third generation owner Joe Morris followed in the footsteps of his father and his grandfather in learning how to keep the business going. It was his grandfather, Ralph Morris, Sr., who bought it from Stuart Nye.
Joe plans to shift production to his home studio and concentrate solely on crafting pairs of the “Backward Loop” earrings. The earrings are inserted from the back of the earlobe and worked forward until the little loop in the back comes up behind the ear.
Currently, Stuart Nye jewelry is stocked at the different locations of the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild Shop. One location is right next door to the Stuart Nye workshop.
The story above first appeared in our November / December 2024 issue.
