Meet Your Designer, Melissa
I got my first glimpse into the jewelry world as a kid, earning quarters for spotting tiny melee diamonds on the shop floor and watching in awe as my dad fired up his torch, shaping metal into something magical and meaningful. With a natural artistic streak and love of people, what began as a creative curiosity eventually became a full-time career.
I began at Green Lake Jewelry Works as a young adult, spending a decade designing with clients in the Seattle studio. During that time, I mentored new designers, helped shape internal systems, and supported both the creative and operational sides of a fast-growing company. I also earned GIA certifications as a Graduate Diamonds & AJP. My work has been featured in Washington Wedding Day and I have been mentioned in In Store Magazine.
My career has taken me across the country, from the award-winning Mark Schneider studio in Long Beach to Todd Reed’s luxury retail space off Abbot Kinney in L.A. In Austin, I designed engagement rings at Calvin’s Fine Jewelry and managed a high-value fast paced inventory for Korman Fine Jewelry. I’ve also curated vintage collections for my own online estate jewelry shop. Across every role, my focus remains on thoughtful storytelling through design, drawing inspiration from the beauty of nature, large-scale modern art I create for my home, and the architecture I encounter while traveling.
As a Founding Member of GLJW, returning feels like coming home – with a fresh perspective, deeper experience, and a continued love for the creative, collaborative spirit that defines it.
My expertise in custom jewelry design was recently featured in MJSA Journal, one of the most respected publications in the jewelry industry. In the article ‘What Does Custom Really Mean?’ I share my insight and passion for the custom design process, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what it truly means to bring a client’s vision to life.
Sketch to Ring
Intricate Shoulder Designs
Beautiful Bands
Gemstone Jewelry
More Unique Designs
Happily Engaged Couples!
Heartfelt Reviews
Fantastic Experience!
I had a fantastic experience working with Melissa T, my designer, and team at Green Lake to have my engagement ring designed and fabricated on a very tight timeline.
Throughout the process my designer was very responsive and give solid feedback based on her experience and took into account ALL of the notes I brought to the design process. This was my first time making sure a large and important purchase so having a cool and calm person to work with was an invaluable asset.
I feel that many people will see the high price of the pieces created by Green Lake and be turned away, but I will say that the craftsmanship and attention to detail is clearly apparent and the service they provide throughout the process is next to none.
I would highly recommend Green Lake Jewelry
She’ll do it Justice!
I worked with Melissa to create a custom engagement ring and she was the most amazing partner in this whole process. She help bring my design to life in the most stress-free and streamlined way possible. I truly am amazed by what her and her team was able to do and am looking forward to coming back to work with her for future wedding bands. Thank you Green Lake Jewelry!
.jpg)
I Highly Recommend Green Lake
We worked with Green Lake to create custom hand-engraved wedding bands, and we couldn’t be happier. The custom process was straightforward and went smoothly, and our rep Melissa was super responsive and helpful with all of our questions and concerns. There were two existing designs on the website that we liked and wanted to combine for our rings, and at Melissa’s suggestion (and her detailed notes for the engraver) we opted to let the jeweler have creative freedom in designing the scroll work. And honestly, the results are beautiful and I love that they’re unique for us. We really felt taken care of for this important and sentimental project and purchase. (Also, we were told that if we need them resized in the future, Green Lake can do the resizing and touch up the engraving too, which is a nice bonus!) I highly recommend Green Lake for custom jewelry!
