ESQUELETO
ABOUT ESQUELETO
ESQUELETO features a thoughtfully curated selection of fine jewelry, artwork, and both handcrafted and natural objects. Owner Lauren Wolf first opened the shop's doors in 2011 after relocating to Oakland from New York, where she established her namesake line, Lauren Wolf Jewelry. In 2015 ESQUELETO expanded to Echo Park, where Lauren opened her second store in the up-and-coming LA neighborhood. 2015 also marked the launch of ESQUELETO online, our comprehensive e-commerce site, making our products available to customers all over the world. In 2019 the company expanded again, adding a third brick-and-mortar in Los Angeles's Los Feliz neighborhood. ESQUELETO is excited to announce the opening of its fourth brick and mortar location in NYC, opening August 2019.
OWNER LAUREN WOLF
Today, Lauren Wolf is best known for creating unusual engagement rings using ethically-mined, rare colored diamonds. Produced in California, with roots in New York City–where the brand was born and based for eight years– Lauren Wolf often incorporates seemingly contradictory elements in order to produce designs that are at once primitive and sophisticated, edgy and elegant, classic and unconventional.
Lauren Wolf studied jewelry design in the mountains of Mexico in San Miguel de Allende. She went on to attend FIT in New York City as a student in their associate degree program. It was there that she learned the technical process of jewelry making and discovered her love for casting found objects. Upon relocating to the Bay Area in 2011, Lauren opened her first retail location, ESQUELETO. Lauren Wolf’s 13+ years in the fine jewelry industry has given her a deep understanding of the entire process, from sourcing to production to retail. We have longstanding relationships with both customers and suppliers that are built on trust. Our knowledge of quality craftsmanship and our intimate relationships with our designers give us the confidence to stand behind our products. We carry only the best designs from the most skilled jewelers.
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
We love helping our customers realize their dream rings both through our in-house custom design services with Lauren Wolf Jewelry and by liaising with the artists we carry to personalize existing designs. If you can imagine it, we can help you create it.
SMALL BUSINESS
The jewelry designers and artisans that we showcase in our shops are more than just business contacts: they are our colleagues, our neighbors, and our dear friends. When you purchase a piece made by one of our artists, you are truly purchasing a piece made with love and care, and supporting a whole network of independent artists and local suppliers.
Although we are inspired by works from all over the world, we find we don’t have to look too far to find makers, creators and artists to celebrate. We represent jewelers from Oakland to Brooklyn and everywhere in between. The unique objects that we stock come from all over the country: megalodon teeth from South Carolina riverbeds, petrified wood from the Pacific Northwest, ceramics thrown in California and NYC.
GALLERY
Our gallery walls showcase emerging visual artists with a wide range of disciplines, in both the Oakland and Los Angeles locations. In selecting the work for our shows, we strive to create an environment that inspires, sparks conversation, and adds to the fresh and unique sensory experience of our shops. While the curatorial vision remains grounded in these principals, the medium is always evolving: our shows feature painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, and fiber arts.
Rotating every two months, our solo shows kick off on First Friday (in Oakland) and First Thursday (in Echo Park). The openings give our customers and the larger community a chance to view the work, meet the artist, and chat in a laid-back setting over wine, beer and cheese. We hope you'll stop by the Oakland or LA shops to see what beautiful artwork is currently on display!
COMMUNITY
ESQUELETO opened in Oakland nearly 9 years ago and is deeply rooted in its culture and community. When owner Lauren Wolf relocated here with her husband Patrick (a visual artist and Oakland native) she committed herself to community enrichment through authentic development. ESQUELETO’s success as a cultural incubator has paved the way for other small businesses and fostered growth for the local community. We repeated this model with our 4-year-old Los Angeles store, settling into an underdeveloped stretch of Sunset Blvd that is now thriving.
We are committed to connecting our emerging artists and artisan-based small businesses with a larger audience. Most of the jewelers we carry and fine artists we exhibit in our gallery spaces are Bay Area and Los Angeles locals. We schedule regular trunk shows giving our customers the opportunity to meet their favorite designers face to face. Participating in First Fridays and other neighborhood events keeps us rooted within our community.
Giving back to our community is important to us, and we regularly donate our products to school fundraisers and charitable organizations. We also enjoy donating our time, knowledge and resources through collaboration with organizations such as Creative Growth. The only way for us to succeed is for our community to succeed.
We are proud to support causes close to our heart including Memorial Sloan Kettering Institute, Maeday Dog Rescue, Creative Growth, and our community’s schools. If you have a great cause that you would like us to know about, please contact us.