Waltham jewelry maker a shining example in her field

Monique Rancourt has been metalsmithing jewelry in Waltham since 2012. Describing her design aesthetic as bold and edgy “with a dash of rock n’ roll,” she said, “everything is hand fabricated. It’s all hammers and fire.”

Rancourt has been a longtime presence at Lincoln Studios on Moody Street, a live-work Waltham artist community, but it took time and commitment to become a jewelry maker.

“I always had an interest in fashion,” she said. After working in retail corporate management for Urban Outfitters, at age 33 she decided to pursue her dream of making and selling her own creations. She soon enrolled at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) in Boston where she earned a BFA in metalsmithing and jewelry. 

“It was terrifying” to start school and embark on a new career, but I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” Rancourt said.

When she began metalsmithing classes at MassArt, she said it “felt really natural.”

Rancourt experimented and fabricated unusual objects, including a crown, a metal net corset and a massive necklace similar to a chest plate. The school also helped her develop her own style, enabling her to become a full-time artist and businesswoman.

A part of Waltham

Rancourt and her partner lived in Cambridge and were looking for a new home. Hoping to find a live-work opportunity, they were excited to learn about Lincoln Studios. 

“We knew it was going to be a good fit,” she said. “It was such an amazing building.” 

The original home to Jordan’s Furniture, the building houses several businesses, an art gallery, and more than a dozen artists in residential and non-residential spaces. 

For nine years Rancourt had a storefront in the same building called the Monique Rancourt Artisan Gallery, which represented about 50 fine-craft artists. Having her own shop allowed her to get to know many community members and others from the surrounding area.

Rancourt said she only closed the gallery in 2024 after a new owner bought the building and rent became too expensive.

“[It] was a very difficult decision,” she said. However, there was a silver lining since now she can just “really dive in and focus on my own work.”

In the wake of the gallery’s closure, this marks the first year Rancourt welcomed Waltham Open Studios attendees into her living space to see her work. She has participated in 14 Waltham Open Studios in total.

Shape and form

A number of Rancourt’s pieces, some of which incorporate gemstones and leather, appear organic. Reminiscent of mussels, barnacles, pumice and isopods, they have irregular edges and curving shapes.

“I just like weird, crusty forms in nature. I just think they’re so interesting,” said Rancourt. The only metal she uses for her designs is silver. 

When she does incorporate gemstones, she looks at their colors and durability when creating the overall designs.

With her camera in hand when walking in the woods or near the ocean, she takes photos of eye-catching leaves and other natural objects and uses elements of their shapes for inspiration. 

Rancourt said sometimes her design ideas go right from “head to hand” without preliminary sketches. Other times she’ll sketch out a design first. 

While some of her creations look like they’ve been plucked from nature, other earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets are more geometric, formed from handmade chains and delicate clusters of silver balls. There are even pieces that echo famed artist Alexander Calder’s hanging mobiles.

As part of the Waltham Open Studios event last month, Rancort welcomed attendees into her living space to see her work first hand. A crowd of more than 2,000 people came out to enjoy the works of more than 70 local artists.

Rancourt and her partner have had a great experience in Waltham. “The community is wonderful. We’ve grown to love it,” she said.

Monique Rancourt Jewelry is located at Lincoln Studios, 289 Moody St., in Waltham. For more information, visit the website.