Meet the Artist Behind Every Nostalgic Charm Bracelet

That's me, the chubby blonde with knock knees, standing beside my beloved grandmother who raised me as a child and my wonderful sister in front of the Appalachian cabin where I lived and dreamed for most of my childhood.  Built in northern Georgia in 1843 by my great-grandfather, Isham Melvin who built the first schoolhouse in northern Georgia to educate women, a legacy of building things that mattered runs deep in my family. The photo itself was taken in the 1950s, and the dresses my sister and I are wearing were handmade by my grandmother on an old treadle sewing machine, sewn from flour sacks we got at the local grist mill, since we had no electricity at the time. It's a photograph customers ask about often, and I understand why. It captures something I've carried with me ever since, believing nostalgia is important and a way of making things by hand, with care, out of necessity and out of love, long before it was ever a craft I'd build a business around.
  I'm Dea Shelton, the artist behind Blackberry Designs Jewelry. My business name was chosen for my love of the Blackberries that grew wild on the hills near our Appalachian cabin and the half-moon pies granny made.

 In 2005, I made a bet that stainless steel could be beautiful in women's fashion jewelry, long before anyone else was making it this way. I custom-cast my charms, clasps, and findings with a manufacturer I've worked with closely for years, so the components in my pieces exist nowhere else. In 2004, before that bet had even fully proven out, I was invited to teach stainless steel jewelry techniques to artisans across the United States, and pieces I made 15 years ago are still turning at estate sales and on eBay and Posh Mark, still beautiful, still selling near their original price. That's not a marketing claim. That's what tarnish-resistant, heirloom-quality craftsmanship looks like after two decades in the real world.

Since 2002, I've been creating wearable charm jewelry inspired by the charms my father collected for me, and the comfort they brought me through life's hardest moments. Every design I make since is built on that same foundation: a mathematical compositional system I developed myself, refined through decades as an artist, sculptor, designer, and metalworker, and a deep study of color theory I once taught in art classes. I mix my own mica powders and enamels to match my own hand-sourced imagery, so every piece is complex by design, and genuinely singular.

M charm jewelry is handcrafted in the USA with premium 316L stainless steel and finished with meaningful details like genuine gemstones, crystals, and engraving, made for comfort, everyday wear, and a lifetime of beauty. Whether you're gifting someone you love or treating yourself, these are collectible, heartfelt designs meant to be cherished, not replaced.

I started Blackberry Designs Jewelry in my 40s. I'm now a few years older, and I still hand-engrave, set every crystal, and assemble every piece myself in my California studio. I don't follow fast fashion fads. I proudly say, "We don't trend around here." I design for women who cherish individuality, appreciate real craftsmanship, and want jewelry that tells their story, at any age or stage of life.

Since 2002, my mission has been simple: to spark joy, celebrate memories, and create lasting beauty, one charm at a time.

As featured in Bead Style Magazine (Rising Star Jewelry Artist), Where Women Create, and Other handmade jewelry magazines and blogs.  

Officially copyrighted designs since 2014, registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.

Welcome to my world of nostalgia, sparkle, and heartfelt artistry. I’m so glad you’re here.

Blackberry Designs Jewelry
Who Says You Can't go Home Again?