Meet the Maker
Ravena Metalworks was founded in 2018 by designer and metalsmith Sarah Harvell, specializing in handcrafted one-of-a-kind and custom made art and jewelry inspired by the serenity of nature. Sarah is an accomplished metalsmith whose handcrafted art and jewelry captures the delicate beauty and raw elegance of the natural world. Sarah draws inspiration from the landscape, intricate flora, and serene wildlife that surround her, translating these elements into unique, wearable and sculptural art.
Sarah was born and raised in Appalachia from the highlands of Floyd, Virginia and currently resides in Greensboro, NC. She has a BFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing from Radford University and MFA in Metal Design from East Carolina University. Her work specializes in metalsmithing with years of experience in painting, drawing, and ceramics. Sarah teaches metalsmithing classes at the Sawtooth School for Visual Arts in Winston-Salem, NC. She is also the Web Design, E-Commerce & Marketing Manager at Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery in downtown Winston-Salem, NC, and Saslow’s & Henebry’s Diamond Jewelers in Greensboro, NC.
When she’s not in the studio, Sarah enjoys reading, befriending crows, gardening, and outdoor adventures.
Inspiration
I create sculptures and wearable art shaped by a deep reverence for nature—its textures, tones, and quiet power. Raised in the Appalachian mountains, I found beauty in the wild and wonder in the crows others dismissed. Ravena Metalworks is named in their honor—an ode to their mystery, resilience, and the magic woven into the overlooked.
My work draws inspiration from the natural world, where the curve of a leaf or the silhouette of a bird becomes a story told in metal. Each piece captures a moment of stillness, a fragment of the ever-changing world around us.
Rooted in a lifelong fascination with archaeology, my passion for metalwork is also a love of endurance. Ancient adornments, shaped by hands long gone, still whisper across time. I’m especially drawn to Opus Interrasile, a Roman and Byzantine openwork technique that reveals beauty through negative space—a reminder that what’s absent can speak just as powerfully as what remains.
Each piece I create is a bridge between earth and sky, past and present. It is both adornment and artifact—something to be worn, held, and passed on. Through Ravena Metalworks, I hope to offer work that honors the natural world, endures through time, and tells stories worth keeping.
