Nancy Aires was born January 10th, 1951 in South Bend, Indiana.  Jewelry had always been a hobby of hers often using her talents for inexpensive Christmas presents.  At the age of 20 she married the young Notre Dame graduate Lee Aires.  After their marriage, Lee and Nancy roamed Europe for six months living off of less than $5 a day.  Faced with how to support themselves, Nancy decided to try and sell her jewelry.  After coming back to the United States, Lee and Nancy moved to Georgetown in Washington D.C.  There, with their last bit of money, Nancy invested just $25 to buy some wire, a good pair of pliers, and some beads.  That night she went home and made 50 pairs of earrings.  The next day Lee and a friend went to watch a basketball game inside a bar.  Nancy set up outside on a card table.  When her skeptical husband came out to see how she was doing, she had already made $75.  It was through this that her passion was given hope. 

After a year or two of bead jewelry, Nancy bought her first torch and took on the role of metalsmith.  She immediately began entering as many juried shows as possible and was one of the first members of The Michigan Guild in the Ann Arbor art fair.  For over 30 years, it has been Nancy’s dream to give others the gift of her creations.  Year after year, her previous customers seek her out to tell her stories of how her jewelry has affected them.  In one such instance a young woman was uncertain about wearing such commanding and attractive jewelry; but after a little persuasion by Nancy, the timid young lady purchased a necklace.  The next year she returned, praising Nancy for talking her into buying the necklace.  The woman had a restored confidence in herself and gave the jewelry credit for this achievement.  The woman said that the jewelry “empowered” her.  Nancy feels strengthened by the thought that someone may be complimented and admired for wearing her jewelry.  This is the reason that she continues to create jewelry 34 years after she started: to inspire, to uplift, to empower.