Alex McDermott is a Pacific Northwest native and has been a bench jeweler for twenty years. She enjoys teaching and introducing elementary-school students to a variety of media, from clay to print. A graduate of the Gemological Institute of America with a background in diamond grading, McDermott has also developed the skills and an appreciation for glass. She sees an undeniable beauty in the way glass refracts and disperses light. Her design inspiration comes from the subtleties found in nature.