Telle of the Hills is a jewelry line hand-crafted by Telle ter Horst.

Telle found her way to jewelry while working at an enchanted bead shop during college in Boone, NC. There, she spent her days dreaming about color combinations and learning the fundamentals of the craft, and fell in love with the stories and meanings behind the materials.

Her growing fascination with jewelry design coincided with the emergence of online handmade markets (namely, Etsy), and since the early 2000s she has created several concept lines and explored a variety of mediums within the world of jewelry.

Telle’s designs pay homage the beauty of the natural world and evoke a sense of timelessness. Having spent half of her formative years in the woods of Georgia and the other half in Los Angeles, her creative musings are a balance of earthy ruggedness and refined modernity.

“Of the hills” is the approximate translation of Telle’s last name, ter Horst. It comes from her paternal grandfather’s side of the family, who came to North America in the early 1900s. Her grandfather, Jerald ter Horst, was a great supporter of the arts and instilled in Telle a lifelong appreciation of handmade crafts.

Every piece of jewelry you receive is crafted by Telle’s hands. She likes to make as much from scratch as possible, such as her signature ear wires. She sources materials from suppliers who emphasize ethical practices, and is committed to minimizing the amount of waste produced from her own studio. All of your lovely orders are shipped plastic-free.

When Telle is not in the studio, she likes to be outdoors as much as possible. Her yard is filled with curious creatures, a vegetable garden, and a growing native plant collection. She is passionate about protecting the unique biodiversity of the Appalachian mountains, and about supporting local food systems. Telle of the Hills donates annually to organizations in the area that focus on these efforts.

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