American West, a collection of sterling silver belt buckles and fine jewelry available in Big Sky

As a creative urban dweller and bike racing, mountain explorer, Ellie Thompson’s designs are influenced by worlds both natural and modern. Comprised of sterling silver belt buckles, and fine jewelry in multicolor gemstones and precious metals, Thompson’s latest collection, American West, is an organic exploration of the balance between soft and strong, fierce and finessed, wild and precious. A departure from the geometric and linear designs of her urban inspired works, the natural motifs combine with a sense of magical realism to create a complex show of form, space and movement.  Feminine curves play against the edges of sharp, aggressive details. The designs are at once familiar and other worldly.

"The spirit of the American West is fierce and finessed. And the collector who epitomizes this idea, creates a personal style that shows strength and a sense of adventure”, says Thompson.

The Double Bison sterling silver belt buckle made its debut in the 2016 C.M. Russell Museum Exhibit and Auction in Great Falls, Montana. Her Wild Roses sterling silver belt buckle won an award at The Western Design Conference in Jackson, Wyoming and will be featured in the 2017 C.M. Russell Museum Exhibit and Auction.

Thompson has won numerous awards for her innovative use of rare colored gemstones and precious metals. She has earned the prestigious Spectrum Award three times and the American Vision Award twice as well as accolades from World Gold Council and Platinum Guild International.  In 2000, she was awarded First Prize in the American Jewelry Design Council's New Talent Competition, an award that launched her into the national spotlight

Her work is available through selected galleries and stores across the country including Creighton Block in Big Sky, Montana, Atomic 79 in Dillon, Montana, Rare Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming and Eat Gallery in Maysville, Kentucky. The collections can be viewed at www.ellieco.com.