A collector of antique jewelry from the age of 15, Melissa began designing jewelry at 17, when she took a jewelry class in high school. She fostered her natural, artistic acumen through a bedrock of education and training, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago before going on to obtain her Master of Art for painting from the Royal College of Art in London. Throughout her academic and artistic pursuits, she would sketch and paint jewelry designs as a way to unwind and ultimately, upon graduation, she realized she’d amassed the foundation of a jewelry brand.

In 2018, shortly after graduating with her Masters, Melissa launched LUNAR RAIN, in which she has effectively created an oeuvre of miniature works of art. In addition to the diminutive sculptures she designs, she also paints with the mediums of fine jewelry, embracing color with both bright pops of enamel or gemstones in both saturated and muted hues. Each of her designs begins with a sketch, and she adds dimension and color with watercolors to bring her naturalistic menagerie to life in tactile form.

Working with unique stones such as dendritic agate, she is enamored by the effect the stones’ natural inclusions create; it’s as if they are encasing bits of nature, “like magical miniature paintings.” Also utilizing sapphires, moonstones, emeralds and diamonds in her work, she often lets the stone dictate the direction of her designs, creating shapes and motifs around the gems’ natural properties.

Continually inspired by nature, and heavily influenced by her surroundings, her collections are filled with aquatic themes and portrayals of flora and fauna. With overt nods to the sea that surrounds her in her home in British Columbia, she has established a magical world in which turtles, octopus, sea horses and fish play in harmony among intricately carved shells, the birds, owls and fawns living in happy contentment.

While displaying a sophisticated level of skill, Melissa also brings a sense of joy and whimsy to her work. There is a playfulness in her creative process and her artistic philosophy, as illustrated in her submission to the 2024 COUTURE Design Awards, The Mouse Who Ate Too Much Cheese. This form-meets-function, mouse-shaped cheese pendant is a working pill box crafted in 18k gold that Melissa designed after a food poisoning incident rendered her lactose intolerant; it holds her lactose pills for when she wants to consume dairy. Still a relatively new brand, Melissa’s world of fantasy and imagination continues to evolve, leaving admirers of her work excitedly awaiting where she’ll take us next.