Yutori's Story
Growing up, Omaha-based artist Terry Le established quite the collection of geodes and stones to substitute his fascination for jewels and precious metals. Silver jewelry was always too expensive, feeling more like treasure to a kid. Yet, jewelry counters and displays circled his periphery—just out of reach in his mind’s eye. When Le decided to make his own jewelry brand, Yutori, he fell in love with the design process and the craft of handmade silver jewelry.
“It’s something that carries meaning, can be passed down through generations, and becomes part of life’s most significant moments. That’s why I chose jewelry as my medium—it holds value, history, and memory.”
Bracelets in themselves have a special history. Bangles and cuffs were once used as armor to project vital points along the wrists. Religious symbols in the forms of wristlet talismans honored ancestors while also invoking divine protection. It was a form of currency to Mesopotamians who would pay in silver coins or by silver chains. Ever since Ice Aged people tied bones, horns, and shells around their wrists, we’ve had a primal need to look fire and accessorize.
Inheriting this craft lineage going back to prehistory, as an artisan, Le often finds himself in a state of play when approaching handcrafted jewelry. His signature piece the Free Flow Bracelet was created by a coincidence. Using leftover silver scraps, he melts them together forming abstract, organic structures mimicking the nodules of driftwood or coral formations from deep undersea. Silver (like any metal) is a tricky thing. If the torch is too hot, it will burn the piece or worse melt right through it. If it’s too cold, it won’t flow toward the heat and pieces won’t join properly.
“Once I created the original sample, I realized recreating the sample was not easy. I began planning where to apply the torch and strategically placing scraps to form hollow pockets, allowing me to connect the pieces into a cohesive bracelet.”
Yutori’s quality starts at the selection of its materials. Le prefers Argentinium silver (also known as 940 silver) as the base for his artisan jewelry—given the superior shine and durability when compared to sterling silver. 940 silver is an alloy made up of 94% silver, 5% copper, and 1% germanium. While one percent might not seem like a lot, germanium helps extend the longevity of Argentium silver by creating a protective oxide layer, which significantly reduces the chance of tarnishing like polished sterling silver. Plus, given the low copper concentration, Argenitum silver is hypoallergenic. The combination of silver and germanium results in a higher melting point alloy, which Le admits, “makes finding the precise melting and cooling point challenging.”
Each piece of Yutori jewelry is nothing less than a choreographed display of perfect timing and expert silversmithing. Le applies the torch enough to partially melt the silver and then removes it to preserve that “flow” effect applied to the piece. When you look up close at the Free Flow Bracelet, you can count the connected moments frozen in time. No two bracelets are the same. He repeats the process enough to form a complete silver bracelet and uses additional rings to support the connections. Quality and care are synonymous with the Yutori brand.
But just like his brand’s namesake, ‘yutori’ is a Japanese word translating to ‘space’ specifically the idea of stepping back and embracing spaciousness. It’s often used to describe a sense of freedom. The deliberate choice to give yourself enough time and space to enjoy without feeling rushed or stressed. “[Yutori] is something I try to embody in my designs. I also find inspiration in people and brands, particularly Erica Courtney and Vanessa Fernandez, who have significantly influenced my work.” When looking toward the future, Le has an exciting collaboration with the jewelry artist Vanessa Fernandez. Plus, you may see his work flashing on the knuckle of an MMA fighter sometime soon.
His other named collections the Double Link Bracelet and the Stamped Coin, also reflect the essence of yutori. Both silver bracelets play with form and negative space and the interconnected dance around the human wrist.
“When I create a piece by hand in silver, I like to have a clear vision or direction, often inspired by emotions, people, or nature. I work in my basement at a foldable plastic table, usually with my AirPods in, fully immersed in the process of fabricating, sanding, cutting, and polishing.”
While designing fine jewelry, Le begins with an idea that holds meaning, moving from the abstract to the concrete of how Yutori can represent the invisible intention. Sketching his process in a series of detailed pencil diagrams, FLOW, for instance, can take several different shapes like energy and rivers. Reflected light adds another dimension of movement dappling the surface of the piece. Fences are LINKED as well as chains suggesting endurance, fortification. The oval links round out the bracelet almost like organic chainmail, COINS, specifically stamped ones, convey status, value, speaking to silver’s original purpose as currency. A circlet of talismans joins around a wrist. In the language of design, the concepts of flow, links, and coins invoke their own truths and history through premium silver jewelry. With a lifetime guarantee, including free repairs, polishing options, and resizing, Yutori creates Argentium jewelry to outlast the everyday.
An unreal moment for Le is opening a Yutori box. Unboxing a finished piece, seeing the idea that he’s worked on for weeks come to life is still “something truly special.”
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Interested by Terry Le's unique process and the story behind Yutori’s handcrafted jewelry? Explore A-Priori’s collection online here.