ADVENTURER. CREATOR. 

WIFE. VOLUNTEER.

MOTHER. DREAMER. 

VISIONARY. ROCK NERD.

Erin is the owner and jewelry designer of Independent Mountain Jewelry Co. She and her family live in a rustic cabin deep in the high-altitude woods of the Rocky Mountains.  Life with her outdoor-enthusiast husband, silly son, two dogs, and bad kitty is truly the Colorado dream come true.  She finds her artistic and creative inspirations on family adventures in and around the hiking trails, bubbling streams, wildlife encounters, fresh powder snowfalls, majestic sunsets and peaceful solitude in the mountains surrounding their small, historic mining community. Erin's creativity was fostered from a young age by a cherished great grandfather who introduced her to gems, stones, and the art of handmade gifts. She remembers with fond memories the “treasure box” of rocks he had and eagerly shared with her as a child. She remembers dumping them all out on the floor and sorting through them with him time after time as a child. After he passed away, her grandmother gave her that box of rocks-and it is still one of her greatest treasures. Now, she and her son continue the family tradition and love of dumping out and sorting through rocks that started all those years ago. Her great grandfather also used to take her to the bead store, let her pick out beads and encouraged her to create her own “masterpieces” and express her creativity. He allowed her the freedom to experiment with new ideas and mediums, make mistakes, and learn to problem-solve along the way which were important “deeper life lessons” she learned from him through those early days of crafting.

Erin has always been a proponent of making handmade gifts. It brings her joy to take something raw or ordinary, add some imagination and creativity and make something special with her own unique vision and flair. As a child, she watched as her great grandfather took ordinary nails from the hardware store and turned them into beautiful handmade gifts for his wife and her church friends. Erin saw first-hand how a handmade gift can become someone’s personal treasure. She continued her hobby in jewelry crafting into her young adulthood.  In 2012, she decided that she wanted to transform her hobby and turn it into a business. A friend of hers was hosting a local handmade marketplace. Erin decided to give it a try. She made twelve necklaces and went to the market. To her surprise, she sold all twelve necklaces in the first hour. She started to think that maybe she was onto something. 

As the backbone for her jewelry business began to take shape, Erin decided that she needed to refine her skill set and took an introduction to lapidary class and found the spark that would ignite her passion in making handmade jewelry with stone. Erin says she will be eternally grateful for all that she learned from Kim Henkle, her teacher, mentor and friend.

Erin began her business and originally named it “Sparkle & Stone” after one of the first pieces she had ever made- a necklace made from a stone she bought at a craft store and some glitter. She cringes when she remembers the crude beginnings of her entrepreneurial journey with that necklace. But it serves as a reminder of how far she has come in her journey as an artist, creator and business owner. 

Independent Mountain Jewelry Co. houses a unique, inspired collection of handmade with love, one-of-a-kind treasures—which is a throwback to those long-lost days of using naturally beautiful raw earthly elements and expertly crafting them into awe-inspiring works of art to be showcased and shared with the world. 

If you want to learn more about Erin and her creative process, follow her on social media to see intimate behind-the-scenes pictures of how Erin is able to take raw materials and craft them into stunning pieces of personal, wearable, treasured art. You can also have access to special promotions and early release info on new and upcoming styles and pieces- and a whole lot more!

Click and connect to see all that Erin has to offer.  

Images on this website were taken by Ashley Tiegden Photography and Erin Trumble

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