The jewelry pieces designed by artist Clair Brunetti shimmer with coastal inspiration. Just as the Atlantic Ocean sparkles at sunrise, her coral necklaces and turquoise earrings lend a purposeful ocean essence to her art.
“I use the colors that yell Florida,” the New Jersey native declares.
Brunetti’s journey into jewelry making began in a class she took with her daughter Jamie, and after stringing the beads on her first necklace, she was hooked.
“That first necklace was a turning point that sparked a passion for creating unique pieces, working with beads and metals, and making something creative and intricate,” she shares.
Brunetti’s art has continued to evolve since that initial foray; varying with each piece as she plays with diverse styles and color combinations. One of her creations became a giant mermaid necklace that found a new home in the Caribbean.
“It took up half your neck! It was too much. I gave it to my sister to sell at her shop in the Bahamas,” Brunetti says with a laugh.
Whether it’s a colossal mermaid necklace or a delicate starfish charm bracelet, every piece that Brunetti crafts is unique. Rather than make jewelry in bulk, each piece is individualized, and she is happy to customize accessories for clients.
“It’s never a one-size-fits-all. Your sparkle is unique,” she says.
“Memory wire necklaces are my favorites. They coil like a Slinky, don’t need a clasp, and overlap in the back to hug your neck.”
Brunetti also enjoys crafting new and innovative works, such as jeweled collages that she makes from fragments of old jewelry.
“They’re mixed media art, like a mosaic or puzzle. They tell a real story,” Brunetti explains.
Often the story starts with a client’s grandmother or aunt who has passed along jewelry as an inheritance. She transforms these assortments of gemstones, metals, glass and even buttons into visually captivating compositions that preserve a family’s heritage.
“Sometimes people bring me a bucket of jewelry from their loved one. They don’t know what to do with it. I use a painted canvas as the background, framed or unframed, and the collages become heirlooms that reinvent a memory. People can’t wear all the jewelry, but they can pass on the piece of artwork to the next generation.”
When fashioning her original collages and pieces for clients, Brunetti will often comb through selections at wholesale bead and gem shows, ultimately passing the savings on to buyers.
“People want to be stylish but not necessarily spend $100 on a necklace,” she explains.
One of six children, Brunetti understands the benefits of being frugal, having also worked long midnight shifts throughout college.
However, the affordable price tags on Brunetti’s pieces do not translate to a lack of quality.
Brunetti incorporates precious and semi-precious gems such as pearls and rose quartz into many of her creations. Examples include pearl drops that enhance deep blue anchor earrings, and rose quartz frequently dazzles in her bracelets and rings.
The busy artist keeps active as a Vero Beach Art Club board member and as co-chair of the Fall Fine Arts Festival, which is taking a hiatus this year but will make its colorful return in 2026.
Brunetti brings decades of experience to those roles from her career as a fundraiser for nonprofit organizations in the New York City area.
“I also support local projects and nonprofits in Vero Beach. Raffle prizes, door prizes, gift certificates – I never say no. It’s always yes.”
She also enjoys supporting other local artists, employing those former career skills to assist with VBAC marketing campaigns, arranging a rotating schedule of artists, and offering social media shares on her personal feed.
“I love to highlight the artists,” she says. “There’s such diverse media being used: mosaics, pottery, oils.”
Brunetti further gives her time and talent to the community as a charter member of the Rotary Club Vero Beach Oceanside.
Ultimately, though, she always returns to her origins as a creator of jewelry.
“Making my jewelry is a perfect balance for my busy lifestyle. Working on my jewelry is quiet and calming; it’s meditative. I’m so happy that I found this outlet.”
She considers her now grown children, Jamie, Raymond and Jody, as her ultimate masterpieces. And, when she’s not spending time with her “gorgeous” family and significant other, Brunetti enjoys running, walking and golfing.
“I started running in my 50s and completed my first marathon at age 63,” Brunetti shares.
Brunetti’s work can be found at the Vero Beach Art Club’s Gallery & Marketplace on 14th Avenue, and on social media. She also has a booth, Jewelry by Clair, in the Wildwood Antique Mall in Vero Beach, an indoor bazaar for fellow artists which she calls her “happy place.”
Photos by Joshua Kodis
