Meet the FUSE Team:
UNA BARRETT (she/her)- Co-founder
Co-Founder of Fuse Jewelry Collective, Una Barrett is a studio jeweler and designer specializing in mixed metal geologically inspired art jewelry.
Born and raised in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains of Northeastern Tennessee, Una cultivated an early relationship with one of the most biodiverse and ancient mountain ranges of the world. This reverence of the natural world continues to inform the jewelry she creates.
As craftswoman and business owner for over 15 years, she has honed her skills with her extensive personal studio practice, working for leading art jewelers and designers, and as a contemporary craft educator.
Una graduated from both Portland State University with a Bachelors of Art degree in Studio Practices and Haywood Community College with an Associates of Science in Professional Craft: Jewelry degree.
JANE GUERBER (she/her)- Fuse Instructor
Jane L. Guerber’s work ~ Timeless Jewels, have been showcased at The Real Mother Goose gallery in Portland, OR, featured in Ornament Magazine with her husband Martin Kilmer, and acquired by the Smithsonian. Specializing in wax model making for jewelry, she has designed and carved master models for varied artists and companies such as William Cross Jewelers of Portland, Maine, TierraCast Inc. of Santa Rosa, CA. as well as Wally Anderson Manufacturing and Willamette Artisans here in Eugene.
Art Nouveau, Japanese design, and Classical ornamentation, as well as Jane’s childhood fascination with the details and patterns found in the natural world continue to inform her designs . She received a Bachelor of Science in Art Education/Jewelry and a Masters from Millersville University in Pennsylvania.
The creation of engagement and wedding rings are a favorite of Jane’s as they symbolize a couple’s union of love, and by being worn everyday go beyond adornment and become an integral and inspiring part of people’s lives.
SAVANNAH HUNTER (she/her)- Co-founder
A lifelong craftswoman and maker, Savannah Hunter has trained extensively in the metal and jewelry arts in studios in Italy, Indonesia, and California, and now continues her practice in her home of Eugene, Oregon. She completed the Graduate Jeweler Program at Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco. and she holds a Bachelor's degree in the History of Art from the University of California—Berkeley.
She has produced collections under her own name and, previously, under her Tenzabelle line since 2014 and has established a thriving custom design business, all with a commitment to ethical-sourcing and sustainability.
Savannah incorporates cosmic, elemental, and archetypal forms into her designs with an emphasis on creating jewelry meant for ritual and rites of passage.
AUBREY LEE (she/her)- Fuse Instructor
Aubrey was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. She’s an artist and maker at heart. She started making jewelry in high school, and has never stopped. After working in management for blue-collar jobs most of her life, she decided to pursue her dreams of becoming a jeweler and moved her life to the Pacific Northwest.
After receiving her bench jeweler certification from the Portland Jewelry Academy in 2017, she has focused on antique repairs, teaching jewelry restyling and restoring workshops, and is a member of the RAW Artist community. She is currently working towards her GIA GG Certification.
Love brought her to Eugene in 2018 where she began her journey working for a couple of local fine jewelry stores. During the pandemic she started to focus on ways to offer creative support to the youth in our community. She’s been carrying rocks in her pockets since her first pet rock at the age of 3, so when she’s not working at the bench you can find her out rockhounding and exploring the beautiful PNW.
AARON TAYLOR (He/Him)- Fuse Instructor
Aaron's love for craft and design started in his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas at age 15. This highschool metalsmithing program began a passion for making that continues to grow. Upon graduation, he moved to Eugene to study Product Design at the University of Oregon, graduating with a Bachelor's of Science in Material and Product Studies with a focus in Jewelry and Metalsmithing and a minor in Art. Aaron has explored and studied a wide range of design and fabrication techniques from 3D printing, CAD and plastics prototyping to enameling, metal forming and casting. after finishing his time at the UofO, he started work as a goldsmith and jewelry caster at a local fine jewelry store, where he continues to develop his craft through research and training.
When not at the bench, Aaron spends his time outside exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest or cruising around in his 1975 VW Westfalia named Betty.
BRIANNA CARIDIO (She/Her) - Fuse Instructor/ Jewelry Production Assistant/ FUSE Showroom
Brianna Caridio was raised on a farm in Oregon’s southern Willamette Valley. Homeschooled, her early childhood was steeped in nature. Brianna’s youthful experiences with gardening and foraging grew into a love of art and design inspired by the natural world. After completing an AAOT with a focus on art from Lane Community College in 2011, she started a screen printing business, printing her own designs onto dresses that she designed and sewed. In 2018, her work grew to include graphic design for local businesses and restaurants.
In 2019, Brianna took her first class in jewelry fabrication and her curiosity quickly blossomed into a passion for jewelry design and metalsmithing.
Brianna’s own work continues to be inspired by botanical illustration and the natural patterns found in plants she comes across while foraging, hiking and spending time on her family farm.