Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SOPHIE HUGHES JEWELRY (NECKLACES, CUFFS, RINGS); BY RYUJI SUZUKI (MODEL) While South End jewelry designer Sophie Hughes creates a wide variety of bold and intricate designs, for the holiday gift-giving season she recommends hewing toward the trendy or the classic. For trend- chasers, "our large silver cuff is really hot." For classicists, she points to her signature gold hoop earrings: "Our hoops are unique—there's definitely something noticeably different about them." The difference lies in each of Hughes's pieces being handcrafted, and from materials both socially and ethically sourced. All of the metals are recycled (they come from a refinery in Virginia), and the stones are reclaimed. Hughes showcases her high-end ombre cuff bracelets, stack rings, gold-laced pendants, and more at her Dartmouth Street boutique, Ore. Just up the spiral stairs is her studio, where each design is conceived and every piece made in you-miss-it- and-it's-gone numbers, with a maximum of 25 pieces per style. Growing up in Kennebunk, Maine, Hughes found her passion for design in a high-school jewelry class. After graduating with a BFA in jewelry and metalsmithing from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2009, she knew she was ready to debut her own line. "I started out early on and just went straight forward," says Hughes. "I still really love what I'm doing." 80 Dartmouth St., 617-247-7426; storeore.com . THE GIFTED HAND JEWELRY DESIGNER SOPHIE HUGHES BRIGHTENS UP THE SEASON WITH BEDAZZLING BAUBLES. BY FALON MORAN 66 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM Precious metals: From dramatic fringe earrings to dainty, diamond- embellished necklaces, Sophie Hughes handcrafts recycled metals and reclaimed stones into limited-edition jewelry in her South End boutique. STYLE TREASURES