Discover the artists, inspiration, and craftsmanship behind every Starfire creation.

Behind the Jewelry

For more than 20 years, Starfire Designs has been creating one-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry inspired by the beauty of rare gemstones, fossils, pearls, antiques, and treasures from around the world.

Each piece is individually handcrafted to celebrate the natural beauty and unique story of the materials it contains. From remarkable stones to treasured family heirlooms, every Starfire creation is designed to be as meaningful as it is beautiful.

Our Story…

Meet the Artists

Charlie Wharton

An older man with white hair and facial hair, wearing glasses, a black suit, and a white shirt, smiling at the camera while leaning on a wooden chair.
An older man with white hair and facial hair, wearing glasses, a black suit, and a white shirt, smiling at the camera while leaning on a wooden chair.

Charlie Wharton, founder and designer of Starfire Designs, has spent more than 20 years creating distinctive handcrafted jewelry that combines artistry, craftsmanship, and a love of remarkable natural treasures.

Although Charlie studied art in college, his journey into jewelry design began later, encouraged by his beloved wife Jean. What started as a creative exploration quickly became a lifelong passion. Today, Charlie is recognized for his signature wire-wrapped designs and his ability to transform exceptional stones, fossils, pearls, antiques, and heirlooms into wearable works of art.

Known for his meticulous craftsmanship and unmistakable style, Charlie approaches each piece as both an artist and a storyteller. Whether creating a one-of-a-kind pendant from a rare gemstone or designing a custom setting for a family heirloom, his goal remains the same: to create jewelry that is beautiful, meaningful, and uniquely personal.

A smiling elderly woman with short gray and pink hair taking a selfie with an elderly man with white hair and glasses outdoors on a porch, with greenery and a house in the background.

Lorrie Padron

Creativity has been a part of Lorrie Padrone's life for as long as she can remember. From childhood crafts, drawing, and jewelry making to embroidery, beadwork, lapidary, fused glass, and lampwork, she has spent decades exploring and mastering a wide variety of artistic techniques. Much of her knowledge has been self-taught, driven by a lifelong passion for creating with her hands.

Over the years, Lorrie has designed original jewelry patterns, taught classes at bead stores and special events, and created countless one-of-a-kind pieces using a range of materials and methods.

In 2017, Charlie and Jean Wharton invited Lorrie to join Starfire Designs, where she began hand-knotting gemstone and pearl necklaces. By 2018, she was designing Starfire's signature wire-wrapped jewelry and has been an important part of the creative team ever since.

Today, Lorrie continues to create distinctive Starfire pieces while traveling to trunk shows across the country, sharing her passion for jewelry with customers and retail partners alike. She considers herself fortunate to spend every day doing what she loves as part of the Starfire family.

The
Process

Sourcing the Perfect Piece

Every Starfire creation begins with the search for something extraordinary. Over the years, Charlie has built relationships with trusted sources around the world, allowing us to work with a remarkable variety of precious and semi-precious gemstones, fossils, pearls, and unique natural treasures.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. In addition to sourcing stones and minerals from around the globe, we often discover interesting pieces in antique shops, artisan markets, and other unexpected places that spark inspiration. When selecting a piece, we carefully consider not only its beauty and story, but also how it will work with our wire-wrapping techniques and how well it will stand the test of time as wearable art.

Custom Creations

We are also honored to create custom pieces using items that hold special meaning to our customers. Whether it's an heirloom, a collection of coins, a treasured stone, or sentimental keepsake, we can transform it into a one-of-a-kind Starfire design that preserves its story for years to come.


Designing & Creating

Once a piece has been selected, the design process begins. Each piece is carefully studied so that a unique wire-wrapped design can be created to complement its natural shape. No two pieces are exactly alike, and every wire wrap is crafted specifically for the piece it surrounds.

Once the design is finalized, the wire wrap is carefully created around the piece by hand. When complete, it is ready to be worn on one of our handcrafted chains or signature neckwires.

Our jewelry is created using 14k gold wire with a strengthening binder that allows us to sculpt and shape the wire without it breaking or becoming damaged during the creation process. While the wire is not solid 14k gold, the amount of binder used is very small, allowing us to achieve both the beauty of gold and the durability needed to create our distinctive designs.

What We Create

From one-of-a-kind gemstone pendants to handcrafted bracelets and statement earrings, every piece is designed and created by hand.

Below you'll find the different types of jewelry we offer..

Handmade jewelry piece with a large green-blue Malakite stone wrapped in gold wire.
Handmade jewelry piece with a large green-blue Malakite stone wrapped in gold wire.

Each pendant is truly one of a kind, crafted from treasures gathered from around the world. From precious gemstones and hand-carved cameos to lustrous pearls and unique found pieces, every pendant has its own story.

Pendants

A gold neck wire necklace on a black background.
A gold neck wire necklace on a black background.
A blank square.
A blank square.

A distinctive and versatile way to wear your pendants, our handcrafted neck wires are available in a variety of sizes, shapes, and designs in both gold and silver. Every pendant in our collection is designed to fit these wearable works of art, which are equally beautiful worn on their own.

Neck Wires

Gold and silver earrings with circular black, red, white, and clear gemstone design, lying on a black background.
Gold and silver earrings with circular black, red, white, and clear gemstone design, lying on a black background.

From delicate everyday styles to eye-catching statement pieces, our handcrafted earrings are thoughtfully designed to complement your individual style.

Earrings

Three gold bracelets with blue inlay and decorative beads displayed on a black background.
Three gold bracelets with blue inlay and decorative beads displayed on a black background.

Our bracelets showcase a variety of designs and materials, from elegant gold and silver creations to pieces incorporating natural stone beads, and unique decorative elements.

Bracelets

Handcrafted in silver, gold, or a combination of both, our chains are designed to be just as striking on their own as they are paired with a favorite pendant.

Chains

A string of blue beads forming a circular shape on a black background.

Beautiful strands of precious and semi-precious gemstones or pearls, carefully hand-knotted one bead at a time.

Hand Knotted Bead Necklaces

A collection of colorful beaded necklaces arranged vertically against a black background. Each necklace has a gold circular tag with a number at the bottom.

Each Chenille necklace and bracelet is meticulously handcrafted using permanent gold or silver finish glass beads, along with vibrant colored glass beads available in 15 beautiful shades.Beautiful strands of precious and semi-precious gemstones or pearls, carefully hand-knotted one bead at a time.

Chenille Beaded Jewelry