One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

But in the case of artist Melinda Volker, it’s a potential jewelry piece.
Volker has a knack for repurposing ordinary items from clock gears to auto parts into her jewelry designs.

“I look for junk items and old things,” Volker said. “Like a hinge or those types of things that people don’t typically look at and say ‘jewelry.’”

Volker has always had an artistic side to her. Growing up, she said she often did art projects with her mother.

As an adult, she shares a passion for art with her husband, Britt Volker, and it was her passion for artistry that lead her to design jewelry.

“My husband and I started out doing photography and we used to take long vacation trips,” Volker said. “Everyone kept saying sell your pictures, so we started doing art shows. While I was at the art shows, I would see other vendors, artisans, that did jewelry and things like that.”

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