ABOUT

Molly McNamara pic

Molly McNamara came to jewelry design and fabrication through a back ground in Fine Arts and a reverence for the jewelers in her family history. McNamara’s paternal ancestors were watchmakers and jewelers who emigrated to America in 1867 and settled in Moline, IL.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in painting from Virginia’s Sweet Briar College and went on to continue her study of painting and design in Paris.

After returning to the U.S. from Europe, McNamara layered her education and back ground with Metalsmithing by enrolling at Penland School of Arts & Crafts in North Carolina. She emerged with the realization that jewelry would be her principal art.

In 1993, McNamara moved to New Orleans with intension to work for Thomas Mann Design.  After two years, she ventured out on her own to devote time to her own creations.

Along the way, she opened a successful store on Magazine Street, while also attracting national attention. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, McNamara decided not to reopen her shop so she could focus on jewelry design and fabrication while retailing through her web site.

As her renown grew, the mayor of New Orleans commissioned her to design a new “key to the city”, along with a line of Fleur de Lis jewelry. That commission marked the beginning of New Orleans-related themes in her work.

McNamara continues her reputation as one of the more renowned jewelers capturing the spirit and mojo of the unique and mysterious City of New Orleans.

“NOLA is an easy place to find inspiration” she says. “Although I love all of my creations, the collections that are inspired by New Orleans are the most fun.”