Meet Sonya Coulson Rook

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonya Coulson Rook.

Hi Sonya, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I’ve always loved making and creating, spending most of my childhood covered in finger paint and glue, while surrounded by pipe cleaners, googly eyes, and construction paper. I fell in love with metal while studying art at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. After two somewhat disastrous semesters of ceramics classes, my professor suggested that I take a metals course. I hadn’t considered the media before but decided to give it a try. The first time I picked up the hammer, I was hooked and haven’t looked back since. After school, I worked as an apprentice to a bench jeweler repairing jewelry and sizing rings. When that opportunity ended, I was blown off course and found myself stuck in a retail management job that I was not at all suited for. Making jewelry, clothing, and painting in my free time was a much-needed creative escape, and while I had sold a few pieces at a couple of stores and galleries in my hometown, I hadn’t seriously pursued my passion. That changed in 2006 when I found the motivation I needed to start a part-time business. I set up a tiny workspace in our one-bedroom apartment, opened up an Etsy shop, and applied to a local craft show. While I had vague dreams of making a little extra money and filling the void in my soul, I could not imagine that the course of my life had just changed. Over the years Metamorphosis Metals grew and I was able to work less and less hours at my day job until eventually making jewelry became my day job. I moved the studio out of the apartment in 2010 and into a space in The Carter Building in downtown Raleigh. (14 Glenwood Ave, Studio 24) Over the years I have continued to develop and expand my skill set with a focus on fabrication techniques, stone setting, and hand engraving.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There is so much to learn when starting a business and I had no idea what I was doing when I began so I didn’t jump all in straight away. I was lucky to have a job that allowed me to gradually step down in hours and responsibility over a period of several years. This allowed me to learn about running a business, acquire tools and equipment, and find my creative voice without the stress of worrying about income or taking on a lot of debt.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work combines industrial and organic aesthetics with a focus on minimalist styles that are designed to be mixed matched and layered for a personalized look. The line consists of versatile everyday classics and special occasion pieces, including alternative engagement rings and wedding bands. I work with a variety of metals, including sterling silver, gold, and steel. In addition to my regular line, I offer custom jewelry design services including restyling heirloom jewelry. One of the most unique offerings at Metamorphosis Metals is the DIY Wedding Band Workshops where couples are able to come into the studio and actually fabricate their own wedding bands from gold or sterling silver. These workshops are my favorite to teach and I’ve been really excited to see them grow in popularity.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’m a huge audiobook nerd so I use Overdrive to check out audiobooks from the Wake County Library to listen to while working in the studio.

Contact Info:

• Email: mail@metamorphosismetals.com
• Website: https://www.metamorphosismetals.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metamorphosismetals/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/metamorphosismetals/