About
Fiddlehead Foundry is a small jewelry and metalsmithing studio in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The studio centers around metal casting from wax models, working primarily in silver and bronze. The work is inspired by forms and patterns in nature, often discovered on hikes in the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.
The studio is operated by Richard Elaver, a metalsmith, designer, and educator. All designs are developed and produced by him, with occasional help from a studio assistant.
Fiddlehead Foundry uses a mix of technologies, from ancient lost-wax casting to high-tech 3D printing, to created highly detailed, organic forms for functional and decorative objects.
About Richard Elaver
Richard Elaver is the owner and operator of Fiddlehead Foundry. Elaver apprenticed as a goldsmith and worked in the jewelry industry before moving into product design. He has made custom platinum wedding rings, titanium eyeglasses, and forged steel hardware. As a design consultant, he has worked with Harley Davidson, Sears Craftsman, Wilson Sports, and others.
Richard lived and worked in Amsterdam as a Fulbright Scholar before returning to the US to follow a career in academia. These days, living with his wife, Andrea, in Boone, NC, he is primarily an educator and a parent of two wild boys. During the school year, he teaches Product Design courses at Appalachian State University. And in the summer, he hikes and bikes along the Blue Ridge Parkway, during breaks from his home studio.
Elaver has exhibited at the Museum of Art and Design in NY; the Cranbrook Museum of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI; the National Ornamental Metals Museum in Memphis, TN; The Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, FL; and the Alessi Showroom in NY. He has taught workshops at the Penland School of Craft and the Pocosin School of Fine Craft, and was a resident artist at Haystack Mountain School of Craft in 2022.
Origin Story
Fiddlehead Foundry is the result of years of experiments and creative investigations, along with a life-long fascination with food and functional objects. A couple years ago, helping with a friend’s dinner party, I brought along several serving utensils for a charcuterie board. These were odd pieces collected over the years, like an antique spring-loaded pickle-plucker, and a set of tongs shaped like bird claws. I noticed that the guests enjoyed playing with, and talking about, the utensils as much as the food. That was surprising, since the food was made by my talented friend, Chef Mike, for a group of foodies and fine-dining restaurant workers. It struck me that eating utensils could be a bigger part of a dinner party. Few products are held so close yet regarded so little.
So, I started to make what I called Charcuterie Cutlery – small and intricate serving utensils for appetizers. I had been teaching and using 3D modeling software and 3D printing to make products, jewelry, and sculptures. And I applied that technology to the subject of cutlery. Developing the work, building a studio, and refining the workflow has taken a few years, and I’m excited to share the results with you.
