Meet Jody Hoffman, Designer & Artist

Welcome to my new website!  My customers have been asking me for years if they can buy CSJ online and the answer is now YES! A true labor of love, I have paid careful attention  to the artistry of my online presentation. All of the handcrafted jewelry from Chessy Shay Jewelry is created by myself and a small team of very talented artisans. I love mixing unlikely materials together and going on global treasure hunts to find unique materials that create unique designs. A fusion of metals, semi-precious gems and stones, leather, and suede found all over the world meld harmoniously together to create a distinct look.

Jewels with the Soul of Oakland

The artistry of her work is very much influenced by Jody Hoffman's hometown of Oakland, California. This ethnically and socially diverse city has a thriving artist community and her work reflects the essence of Oakland which is a little gritty and unrefined but beautiful just the same.

Artisan with a Boho Asthetic

An eye for design and color, Jody holds a Studio Certificate in Fine Arts from UC Berkeley Extension.  From her studio in Oakland,  each CSJ piece is crafted by hand either by Jody herself or by her team made up of students from the California College of the Arts, a prestigious and world renowned art school in Oakland.  "I absolutely love working with the art students from CCA, " says Jody.  "They always provide me with a fresh perspective and there is a dynamic synergy that comes with collaborating with such young, talented artisans."  "The model you see throughout my site is Tamara who is a graduate of CCA and has worked with me for 5 years.  She is gorgeous, talented and from India." Jody loves to keep up with current fashion trends but admits that her inner muse comes from the mid '70s when she was a street artist making macrame jewelry at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. 

Origin of the Name Many people ask Jody, "Who is Chessy Shay?" The company was named for her daughter, Francesca, whose nickname is Chessy. Jody and her husband, Arthur, adopted her from Guatemala in 2000. They also have a son, Asher, who is now 33. He is a graduate of Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California. Asher works in the family business...Vital Link, Medical Alert Systems. It is a small, local business that works closely with frail homebound seniors who need help in a medical emergeny.  Beyond Jewelry Jody has other interests, as well. They include dancing, gardening, interior design, travel, cooking and doing photography. All of the jewelry images were taken by Jody.  She loves getting a little artsy with photographs, too

Jody and Chessy at Women's March in Oakland, California 1/21/17

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