As a talented animator and artist, what drew you to jewelry?
I wanted to start working with my hands more—I always loved jewelry and it was something I was always buying. I’ve been doing animation for a long time and I wanted to push myself creatively, see how else art can be created. I wanted to do something handmade and within a relatively small space and at my desk. It came naturally, a process that felt natural and transferable from design.
How does your background influence the type of jewelry you create?
I grew up in rural England with imagery like neolithic sites, burial sites, stone circles, and Stonehenge. I’m trying to mix the mediums, using the modern part of my design background with those ancient markings.
My current collection is heavily tied to Anglo-Saxon imagery, the origins from Germany, to the Celtics, and Vikings. You see this imagery walking around in England. My previous work includes a lot of animals, so I’ve been creating abstract animals to represent the two. Since I grew up on a farm, there's imagery that I want to use as well, such as crop circles in the summer, which is very mythical and everyone has their own interpretation of it, whether it's man made or alien. Now that I’m away from home, I’m seeing everything with fresher eyes.
What’s your favorite part about the New York creative community?
People are really supportive, open-minded. If you want to switch it up, no one is telling you to stay in your own lane, even the stores want NY-based brands in their stores. Some of my work is outsourced with jewelry suppliers. Like Sandra, who does my gems, showing me the ropes, introducing me to people in Chinatown, around the area, “Go here for this casting, you should go here for that...”
Everyone is a character and I love that. I love the people and the community I meet out of it.
Can you walk me through the process of building a collection versus making custom-pieces for clients?
Collections have to fit together and feel cohesive, from having different elements and figuring out what would work together. Collections are more about me, my style. [For example] I’ll be making this modern chain with multiple charm pieces to be worn as one, very dynamic. I love the rings that I’m making, like proper art pieces.
Custom pieces are all about the client and following the brief. I’ll sit there with the client to learn more about them and imagery that might mean something to them. [Could be as] Simple as what is your star sign, your background, or something like a name or initials and then think about the style that plays into them. I love working on customs.
What or who is inspiring you right now?
Typography books with old English, Roman, German type, all from the early 1900s. Anglo-Saxon imagery, abstract shapes and swirls. British museum, MET. There’s this book with all the hallmark stamps from England, Ireland, and Scotland from the past 100 years. All the icons have different meanings: Lions are English, Harp is Irish, almost microscopic [in size], very simple, some complicated, some intricate.
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About Eric Do
Eric is a Brooklyn-based creative and the founder of RICO, a brand focused on creating handmade, durable, and functional bags and accessories. For more of his work, visit his website or follow him on instagram.