How we design, create and care for jewelry at Peapod Jewelry.

About Our Jewelry

Gold and Silver Jewelry: Sometimes Serious, Sometimes Whimsical, Always Imaginative

The gold and silver jewelry created by Ronna Lugosch expresses her fascination with natural forms — especially the grace and warmth of the peapod — and her appreciation for symbols that represent meaning in everyday life.

The Peapod Jewelry Collection is based on the form that Ronna calls "one of nature's most enduring containers." Many of the pieces are peapods holding various numbers of "peas," pearls or colored-bead gemstones. Some build on the basic peapod shape but become something new and unique, like the whimsical Podster™ lobster-shaped pendants and earrings inspired by an icon of Midcoast Maine. Other pieces of Maine Coast peapod jewelry represent fish, pine trees, fiddlehead ferns, and Round Pond, the cove on the Pemaquid Peninsula, not far from where Ronna lives and maintains her studio and gallery.

Pieces in the Natural Expressions Jewelry Collection express feelings that people have about the world, those they love, and activities they enjoy. Shapes include hearts; spiritual symbols like stars and crosses; representational pieces like the traditional comedy/tragedy symbol of theater; Puppy Love; Mother's Love; and other designs.

Rings Are Made for Comfort and to Last

Our rings are made to be comfortable, to be worn every day, and to last a generation or more. Artist Ronna Lugosch prefers to make low-profile rings with gemstones set in a bezel flush set or channel style These are more difficult to construct than prong settings because the setting must be created to fit the stone exactly. But the result is a longer-lasting piece of jewelry that offers greater protection for the stone.

Wires on Earrings Lock for Safety

Earrings from Peapod Jewelry are available only in locking styles. Living in Maine, where it's cold much of the year, we've seen that simple fishhook earrings are easily lost when you remove sweaters and scarves. All our wire-style earrings lock with lever backs or secure into the body of the earring. Our stud earrings are secured by earring backs.

Caring for Your Pieces from Peapod Jewelry

We ship a complimentary 100%-cotton polishing cloth with each order, which can be used on gold, platinum, or silver. Follow the directions provided with the cloth.

To clean diamonds, use a mild solution of 6 parts water to 1 part ammonia, and apply with a brush with very soft bristles.

It is possible, though unusual, to chip, break, or crack a diamond if it is subjected to a sharp blow or otherwise abused.

For gemstone and pearl care, avoid excessive impact against hard surfaces, extreme temperature changes, and contact with perfumes and cosmetics.

Some chemicals, chlorine in particular, damage gold and sterling silver.

We recommend that you remove your gemstone jewelry before participating in sports, yard work, housework, or crafts, and before using a hot tub or swimming pool.

Creating the Jewelry

To create a new design, Ronna starts with her sketch book, working through several drafts until she finds an approach she likes.

She makes a model from hard carving wax which she shapes with grinding burrs, files, scraping tools, and sandpaper.

Once the design is complete, she uses the lost-wax method to cast the first prototype as a sterling silver model which is refined, polished, and marked with the Lugosch insignia and then molded in a rubber pattern.

Molten wax can then be injected into the rubber allowing duplication of the design.

The lost-wax method is used again to transform sterling silver or gold into the desired shape.

The final castings are sanded, soldered, set with gemstones and precisely polished, making the pieces ready for sale.

Check out Ronna's colored gemstone necklaces with her signature peapod clasps

Need to determine your ring size?

See our chain selection