Meet the Artist: Christal Keener, Crystal Moon Designs
By Kelli Comer
Local silversmith Christal Keener finds beauty in the beaches of Lake Erie, taking broken glass that’s been transformed by the churning lake waters and the hands of time into smooth, beautiful gems known as beach glass. She incorporates this into stunning, exclusive jewelry that pays homage to picturesque Great Lakes.
Christal discovered her passion for jewelry making quite by accident. “Twenty years ago, I made myself a very organic bracelet out of beach glass I had collected along the shores of Lake Erie,” Christal notes. “I wore this bracelet to a ladies’ sailing event. At the event I was asked if I could make five more bracelets for someone to give as gifts to their friends. I made these bracelets, and it was not long before the gifted recipients were calling me up asking for earrings and necklaces to go with the beach glass bracelets. Of course, I went to work to create them.”
While working on this new endeavor, Christal discovered that she had a passion for the creative process. “I really enjoyed working with my hands, searching for the perfect piece of beach glass and laying out designs,” she explains. “My early work was very organic, and I wanted to learn how I could refine my designs into more upscale pieces.”
Christal pored over metalsmithing books, the internet, took classes and found mentors to help her, thus finding her passion on the journey.
“You never know where life will take you,” Christal says. “I spent a couple of decades working for corporate America, owned and operated an upscale women’s consignment store and suddenly I found myself working as a full-time jewelry artist.”
Christal’s process changes as it evolves. She doesn’t necessarily draw out designs ahead of time—rather, she has a pile of beach glass and gemstones to draw inspiration from and lets the colors, shapes and her mood direct the next steps in her designs.
“Years later, I am still constantly learning and developing new designs. I wake up and cannot wait to get into my studio,” Christal says. “I am inspired by the challenges of working with irregular-shaped pieces of beach glass, mixing both sterling and gold.”
Much of Christal’s work is one-of-a-kind, however there are some styles she makes consistently that are client favorites, such as layering pieces and simple stack rings.
“I feel blessed to have found something I am so passionate about,” Christal exclaims. “I hope my customers love and cherish my work, as much as I enjoy creating it, and I love hearing from them.”
To reach Christal, you can email her at chris.keener@me.com. Visit CrystalMoonDesigns.com for more information and to shop online. Follow her on Facebook @BeachGlassCrystalMoon and on Instagram @CrystalMoonJewelryDesigns. Her work can be purchased locally at Burning River Boutique, River Gallery, Feather and Elm, Tart Boutique and Made Cleveland.