Madison's Willow & Weld sells permanent jewelry that's welded onto the wearer

Kassie Lederman, owner of Willow & Weld, shows the products from local artisans that she carries at her pop-up Hilldale Shopping Center storefront. The shop primarily sells jewelry that is permanent as it is welded onto the wearer.

A pop-up shop at Hilldale Shopping Center is offering permanent gold jewelry that is welded together while it’s being worn.

Kassie Lederman, owner of Willow & Weld, which will be at Hilldale through the end of July, said she wanted permanent jewelry of her own, but couldn’t find any local makers or businesses that made or sold it. Her business started in February 2022.

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Welded jewelry, which has no clasps, has been a growing fashion trend in recent years. The appeal is that jewelry is durable and meant to withstand harsh conditions, Lederman said. If a piece breaks, it can be welded back together. The pieces can be welded to the wrist, ankle, neck or finger and eliminate the inconvenience of having to repeatedly take the piece off, Lederman said.

Willow & Weld’s pieces are made of 14-karat gold chains that Lederman sources from a distributor in the southern United States.

The chains, which are named after Lederman’s family members, are displayed throughout the storefront in the former location of Peloton. Prices for the chains range from $119 to $289. The shop also sells candles, tote bags, books, earrings and other gifts from fellow local artisans.

Libbi Fletcher, Willow & Weld employee, shows how the shop's jewelry is welded onto the wearer.

A stay-at-home mom in early 2022, Lederman with her business background decided to buy a machine called a pulse arc welder and teach herself how to weld some gold chains she bought. She experimented with the machine, which uses electrical energy to create a plasma discharge that melts metal in a small spot, for a month until she got the hang of it.

Lederman soon started popping up individually at stores throughout Madison to market Willow & Weld and show off her welding skills. She has also had a presence at the Madison Night Market, among other city events.

Kassie Lederman, owner of Willow & Weld, shows some of the shop's product.

Pop-up shop employee Libbi Fletcher, one of four temporary storefront employees, showed how the pulse arc welder works on a customer on a Tuesday afternoon. Fletcher used tweezers to position pieces of a gold chain together before welding them with a loud crack and singular bright spark. The process is safe for the wearer, Lederman said, who trains her employees herself. She has another permanent staff member in the Milwaukee area.

The shop’s Instagram account now has 8,000 followers, enough to gain the attention of Hilldale Shopping Center, which approached her about the pop-up storefront. “I was speechless,” she said.

"The storm will abate, and the sun will rise again."

That was a quote I read recently. It's was written by a renowned psychiatrist who actually practices locally.

It's hard not to get caught in the throes of all the headlines and wonder what the world is coming to. Even for me – an anxious and introverted pessimist-who-is-secretly-an-optimist with high hopes that, while the world may seem bleak at times, things will eventually get better.

There are still pockets of joy even in the deepest pits of fire.

I never envisioned that my journalism career would entail weathering an ongoing pandemic whose affects are likely to be felt for decades to come. For one story this year, I drove for miles as cars lined up outside a pharmacy waiting for a COVID-19 test amid a shortage caused by the omicron variant.

Eventually, that shortage eased. And more is now known about the once mystery virus that had everyone fearing an apocalypse was imminent.

Soon after, with a colleague and friend, we highlighted the problems plaguing Wisconsin's childcare industry as exacerbated by pandemic.

Since then, various organizations have sought ways to better support parents and providers with more work to be done. Sometimes, it takes work to make things better.

I covered the city of Madison's effort to better support businesses owned by people of color last spring. I recall one of my sources texting to tell me I had created "art" once the story published. Efforts continue.

Additionally, I wrote about how a local uptick in unionization rates (that's continuing by the way) was reflective of a national trend, and how the Dane County employers were jumping on the bandwagon to support workers with children despite no federal guidelines for doing so.

There are still no federal guidelines in December 2022, but the story did inspire a well-written column by the Wisconsin State Journal's editorial board.

Solving some problems may have to start with new knowledge and awareness, just like storms always start with lightning, and then cracks of thunder.

The clouds always pass with time. And the sun comes out again.

That's my personal theme for 2022. Enjoy the below collection.

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The shop's Instagram account now has 8,000 followers, enough to gain the attention of Hilldale Shopping Center.

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“I think (these issues) will resolve as the market resolves,” Wong said. “These disruptions are going to take some time to play out."