James Carter

James Carter is well known among his colleagues. With an MFA in Metalsmithing and 30 years in the field, he is a source of unending information and resources. His business experience compliments his studio experience and allows his students to be educated in the business of jewelry while learning and advancing their jewelry making skills.

His work has been described as “an exquisite dream, captured in glass and gold, equally beautiful as functional jewelry or as a piece of art separate from the body.” A master goldsmith, skilled designer and artist, James has traveled the world cultivating inspiration and showing off his one-of-a-kind gold and silver jewelry. His exploration into cloisonné enameling has, over the past 30 years, led him to be featured in several industry publications and exhibitions across the globe.

The James Carter Studio & School of Jewelry Arts originally opened its doors in Pensacola, Florida in December 2007. After 2 ½ successful years of teaching students from all over the country, the economy of Northwest Florida took a dive with the event of the BP oil spill. Pensacola as a destination was temporarily lost and it was in this timeframe that we made the decision to move our school to a more economically sound area.

We chose Carrboro, North Carolina because it has great appeal as an artist town, with overflowing energy and diversity. We were lucky enough to find a perfect location in the historic Carr Mill Mall in the middle of town. Carr Mill Mall is a renovated mid-19th century cotton mill with soaring windows and lots of character. It is now home to many retail shops and businesses. With its rich history and architecture, Carr Mill Mall was the perfect location for us to settle. We are very excited to now call Carrboro home!

Our school is dedicated to teaching time-honored metalsmithing, jewelry techniques and cloisonné enameling. Our classes emphasize a high level of craftsmanship and individual student development.