Biography
Cecilia Tappan Minnehan was born in Lima Peru. Her career in jewelry began at the age of 14 when she apprenticed under the renowned silversmith, Juan Yucra. While attending the State University of New York at New Paltz, she spent her Junior year studying with a Blacksmith at the University of Urbino in Italy. In 1979 she received a B.S. in Art Education.
After college, Cecilia moved to Boston and started designing a small line of hand crafted jewelry sold exclusively in the stores of the Kiracofe Brothers in Boston, Newport and Mackinac Island.
In 1983, Cecilia went to Norway to apprentice with famed Scandinavian silversmith Uni David-Anderson. When she returned to Boston, Cecilia worked as a bench jeweler for a production jewelry house and launched Cecilia Designs as a full time business in 1985. At the end of that year, Cecilia moved the business to the SOHO district of New York City where she was heavily influenced by the dramatic fashion styles and the Art - Deco period.
Today her designs are a fusion of Inca designs with the clean, slick lines of Scandinavia and the geometrics of Art-Deco. Her work has sold since 1983 in over 250 galleries, boutiques, gift shops and museum stores nationwide. She has exhibited her work for over 20 years at shows like The buyers market of American crafts, American craft council in Baltimore, Handcrafted section of the Gift show in SanFrancisco, New York, Dallas, Boston & the Beckman's show in Chicago.
In 1987 Cecilia moved permanently to the Island of Martha's Vineyard where she started a retail gallery of her work and other American made artists. Her retail store front closed in 2008 but she continues to personally exhibit her own work at various retail shows in Massachusetts.
After college, Cecilia moved to Boston and started designing a small line of hand crafted jewelry sold exclusively in the stores of the Kiracofe Brothers in Boston, Newport and Mackinac Island.
In 1983, Cecilia went to Norway to apprentice with famed Scandinavian silversmith Uni David-Anderson. When she returned to Boston, Cecilia worked as a bench jeweler for a production jewelry house and launched Cecilia Designs as a full time business in 1985. At the end of that year, Cecilia moved the business to the SOHO district of New York City where she was heavily influenced by the dramatic fashion styles and the Art - Deco period.
Today her designs are a fusion of Inca designs with the clean, slick lines of Scandinavia and the geometrics of Art-Deco. Her work has sold since 1983 in over 250 galleries, boutiques, gift shops and museum stores nationwide. She has exhibited her work for over 20 years at shows like The buyers market of American crafts, American craft council in Baltimore, Handcrafted section of the Gift show in SanFrancisco, New York, Dallas, Boston & the Beckman's show in Chicago.
In 1987 Cecilia moved permanently to the Island of Martha's Vineyard where she started a retail gallery of her work and other American made artists. Her retail store front closed in 2008 but she continues to personally exhibit her own work at various retail shows in Massachusetts.
Ordering Information
This Website is a Gallery of my work. Not all items are in stock or available.
To purchase items please email me the item number listed in the photo.
If available in inventory I can generally ship the next business day,
otherwise I need approximately 2 to 3 weeks to custom handcraft the item.
To purchase items please email me the item number listed in the photo.
If available in inventory I can generally ship the next business day,
otherwise I need approximately 2 to 3 weeks to custom handcraft the item.