Branded N Silver - The Art of Jewelry Making

While in college in New Mexico, Marisa Julian took a basic jewelry making class, finding she really enjoyed using her artistic talents. For the next few years she would dabble with the art form, wanting to make turquoise and western themed jewelry.

Marisa finished college, came home and became a ranching partner with her mom, Patty Julian. Together they raise cows, hay, and horses. Marisa enjoys team roping and now shows reining cow horses, riding the horses she and her mom have raised and trained. In addition, she was a veterinarian technician for Dr. Sadie Myers-Miller, owner of Diamond B Equine when Dr. Miller was in the Fallon area. 

To say Marisa was busy would be an understatement.

In the summer of 2021, she enrolled in a class in Pendleton, Oregon to learn how to make western inspired turquoise jewelry. She would take the turquoise stone, cut it and set the stones in the fabricated platforms. Her jewelry making would continue as a hobby making pieces for family, friends, or herself.

Marisa had been trying to figure out how to take jewelry making into the next level and have it become a business, stepping away from her vet tech duties would provide this opportunity. In 2022 she quit working for Dr. Miller and focused on her business.

She then took an engraving class in Kansas in the summer of 2023. This class taught her how to take her engraving from flat pieces into rounded or domed for the three-dimensional pieces. She was by then able to design, fabricate, engrave, add gold accents – most often livestock brands, and set turquoise stones for her custom jewelry.

Once again, opportunity knocked, when Marissa was approached with the idea of making a friend’s engagement ring, but this would require the setting of a diamond. Never one to shy away from a challenge, off she went in early 2024 to Texas, to learn the art of setting diamonds for rings or any type of jewelry. After making several test pieces she was ready to take the challenge head-on and create the requested engagement ring.

Branded N Silver was born from these challenges that she met and conquered, and her dream business has become a reality. Marisa designs pieces that she would like to wear whether they are watchbands, earrings, necklaces, rings, or pieces for all types of tack, or chaps.

She and her boyfriend, Tom Rainey, have begun building western bits in addition to custom jewelry. Tom does the fabricating of the bit, welding and polishing the metal, until the bit is constructed and ready for use. Marisa adds accents to the bits. Decorating the jaws of the bit with silver over-lay, or on the rings of a snaffle bit she will add silver, gold, or copper rivets as decoration, along with overlay if preferred.

 The most satisfying thing a person can do for themselves is dream, work, and build their own destiny like Marisa has done for herself, starting with a simple dream of making custom silver pieces and then making that dream into a successful business. Her work can be seen on her website brandednsilver.com and Instagram social media @ branded-n-silver.