About Derive Jewelry
Born from the earth. Inspired by the journey.
Derive Jewelry began with a deep love for raw materials and the quiet magic of transformation.
I’m Erica, a metalsmith and artist based in the Pacific Northwest, creating one-of-a-kind and small-batch jewelry rooted in stone, story, and connection. Every piece is handcrafted in my studio, where natural gemstones are carefully chosen for their movement, texture, and individuality.
I am drawn to stones that feel like landscapes. Ocean-toned turquoise, luminous pearls, and richly colored gemstones often shape my collections. I frequently use bezel settings to secure and honor the stone while allowing it to remain the focal point, though my work also explores hand-textured metal and organic form. Nothing is rushed. Each design evolves organically from the material itself.
Derive (verb) - /de'riv/ - to take or receive something from a source.
A spontaneous journey where the traveler is guided by the landscape.
My brand name is a nod to origin and creation, deriving both materials and inspiration from the earth. The name Derive reflects my process. To derive is to draw from a source. My work is derived from the earth, from lived experience, from seasons of change, and from the quiet strength found in nature.
Ever grateful for what it gives us, Derive Jewelry honors the beauty of our world. With nature-inspired textures, color palettes, and gemstones, my pieces are from and of the earth.
Using sustainably sourced materials, I add beautiful, natural gemstones to sterling silver and 14kt gold fill. Every scrap of leftover metal is refined to be used again for an everlasting cycle of inspiration and craft.
Collected like moments
Jewelry is a souvenir and travel companion, a celebration of places or people, a reminder of personal decisions.
Collecting pieces like moments, your jewelry has the power to transport you.
I see jewelry for both its beauty and what it comes to represent. Your jewelry becomes a collection of times and memories, gathered along the journey.
As a lifelong creative and metalsmith, I create jewelry for women who feel connected to texture, landscape, and story. These are pieces meant to be worn daily, layered, lived in, and carried through chapters of life.
In addition to my own collections, I curate the Derive Collective, a thoughtful selection of goods from fellow small businesses, many of them women-owned, whose work complements the spirit of Derive Jewelry.
This brand is about more than adornment.
It is about grounding.
It is about connection.
It is about honoring where you come from and the journey ahead.
About The Designer
Erica Porch, designer and founder of Derive.
My work begins with the stone.
I am drawn to natural gemstones for their movement, inclusions, and quiet irregularities, the evidence of time and pressure that shaped them long before they reached my bench. Turquoise, pearls, and other natural stones often guide the direction of each piece, informing scale, texture, and structure.
As a metalsmith, I work slowly and intentionally, allowing the materials to lead. I am especially interested in hand-textured surfaces and organic forms that echo landscape, worn rock, shifting water, weathered earth. Many of my one-of-a-kind pieces are bezel-set to honor and protect the stone while allowing it to remain the focal point.
My process is tactile and intuitive. Hammer marks, subtle asymmetry, and evidence of the hand are not concealed. They are essential. They reflect my belief that beauty lives in variation and imperfection.
Jewelry, for me, is both adornment and grounding. Each piece is meant to feel connected to the earth, something to carry, to wear daily, to move through life with.
From local beginnings we now sell to over 250 independent retailers worldwide, and send our pieces across the globe from our website.
My work is inspired by a love for adventure. I’m a passionate traveler, whether I’m exploring nature here in Oregon or heading out on a wild adventure.
I'm humbled by the thought of my jewelry heading out into the world to join you on your journeys…
If you’d like to join me on mine, you’ll find inspiration, design, and travels over on our Instagram page at @derive_jewelry.
