founder's note

i started Vetch because i wanted to make jewelry i was having a hard time finding.

my background is in fine art, sculpture, and art history, and i came to jewelry first through college courses, then through working in many different facets of the jewelry industry after school. even as my career moved into marketing, my interest and passion for jewelry remained. i kept coming back to pieces that felt like more than decoration, especially charms, articulated pieces, and victorian mourning jewelry.

i’m drawn to pieces that feel personal, sculptural, and a little sideways. things that can hold beauty and meaning equally without spelling everything out. keeping some things mysterious to everyone except for you.

birdwatching has also been part of my life for a long time, so it felt natural that birds became the first subject matter for Vetch. they gave me a way to bring together observation, symbolism, and form in a way that felt honest to myself. while the field guide collection has much room to grow, i also have many, many other ideas beyond it that i am looking forward to making real, too.

as far as the name Vetch Studio goes - i've written about that in this blog post.

Vetch is my way of making jewelry that feels close to the body and easy to keep close in other ways too — pieces with texture, feeling, and room for personal interpretation without kitsch.

thanks for being here! i'm excited to grow alongside you.

gretchen darche

founder & designer, Vetch Studio