Elissa Avenna has been a working jewelry artist for over 35 years. She was first introduced to the craft in a "for fun" class while attending the University of California at Santa Cruz, and ultimately abandoned her academic studies to pursue jewelry making.

While living in Topanga Canyon, California, she worked with a company called the Venice Lapidary Guild who carved stones and produced a line of jewelry with them. She eventually moved to Placerville, worked in arts and crafts shows and had her own business on Main Street in Placerville (The Gold Rush) for 22 years. When it closed, she continued creating unique pieces for private clients.

Elissa's designs are all her own original designs, first created in wax and then cast by the lost wax method into precious metals, frequently incorporating beautiful and unusual colored gemstones. She also welcomes inquiries about customer-inspired commissions.