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Laura Niblack ↟ Metalsmith

@thewildpine

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🌲 Maine Metalsmith✨Vibrant Handcrafted Jewelry
💎 New Jewelry: Early October
🏕️ Hiker, Skier, Forager 🏔️ NE 67/67
🎣 Married to @newenglandflyco

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Snippets of our summer: It’s been an absolutely beautiful season here in Maine. The past two months have been simultaneously wonderful, delightful, difficult and poignant.

Watching Maeve experience SO MANY FIRSTS has given us indescribable joy. She’s crawling! Doggies are her passion! Swimming is life!

July was hard, as we laid my Mom to rest. We gathered as a family in her favorite place on earth & scattered her ashes. It brought up a lot of grief and gratitude at the same time. It was why I chose to take a few weeks off, to focus on time with family and healing. And we’re doing so well!

Isaac’s fly fishing guiding business, @newenglandflyco is flourishing. Thank you for cheering us on in this endeavor! He caught Maeve her first brook trout and she LOVED seeing up close and watching it swim away. It was AMAZING.

I’m am happy to be back in this space! I have SO MANY exciting announcements, plans and jewelry in the works. It’s so hard to be patient! I can’t wait to reveal ‘em all to you!

Thanks for being here. Thrilled to catch up.
What have been some of your summer highlights?

(Huge shoutout to @photocait for capturing this miraculous portrait of all of our creatures happily looking at the camera…as folks with dogs and children, you know this isn’t a small feat! 😆) by @thewildpine

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2 months ago

I was awestruck when I learned that there are certain pine trees that can ONLY rejuvenate after the devastation of wildfire.

For Lodgepole, Jack, & Knobcone pines, flames are a crucial necessity to their life-cycle. Their pinecones are “serotinous” meaning they are sealed with a thick resin, & remain so until exposed to intense heat. When wildfire rips through the woods, these heat-sensitive cones open & release their seeds, which plant themselves in the nutrient-rich ash below. Wildfire isn’t simply destructive force for these trees- it is essential for regeneration. Total devastation is integral to the growth & renewal of a pine forest.

I was drawn to these trees as a metaphor, especially after enduring this particularly arduous season in my own life.

When we experience trials in life, seasons of devastation & loss, those that burn us to the ground & reduce us to ash, our strength increases fourfold. These inevitable “wildfires” force us to muster up all of our grit, strength & tenacity to endure. Through heart-rending seasons of hardship, we garner wisdom that enables us to revive, replant, & rejuvenate; emerging stronger than ever before. Life becomes even richer, meaningful & precious.

In turn, we can galvanize & support others as they endure painful seasons in their own lives. Equipped with experience & compassion, we can reveal to them that they too can rejuvenate, heal & thrive through adversity. Together, we grow resilient; deeply rooted, & able to withstand any storm. We stand tall like pines, having reemerged from fire, forever transformed.

These cuffs pay tribute to rejuvenation after wildfire. They feature brilliant cuts of Fire Opal, shimmering like embers, flanked by foraged pinecones cast in sterling silver. They were created as reminders; commemorations of your perseverance, determination & resolve during your own seasons of hardship. May you always remember that you emerged victorious.

Introducing the Ember & Opal Collection, an exploration of fire & pine, launching Thursday, April 30th at 6pm ET. 🌲🔥💎 by @thewildpine

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6 months ago

I survived Postpartum Psychosis.

TW: Mental illness.

2025 was the most devastating year of my life. Yet, in synchrony, it was the most beautiful year of my life as I became a mother. Two months in, I experienced the most severe form of postpartum depression, psychosis. A complication of Bipolar Disorder mixed with hormones, postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, suicidal ideation, extreme insomnia, compounded with the grief of losing my mother a month before I gave birth led to psychosis. It was the perfect storm.

It began with fixations & compulsions. On my baby’s safety, on schedules, on feedings. It escalated into extreme anxiety, flashbacks & racing thoughts. Then, I began to lose my memory. Frozen in fear, I couldn’t recall what had happened only 5 minutes prior. My vision went fuzzy. I began to see & hear things that weren’t there. When I tried to communicate, I couldn’t form coherent sentences. I couldn’t express nor comprehend what was happening to me. Colors faded, sounds grew deafening. My husband rushed me to the ER. Upon being admitted, I threw myself to the ground, screaming “DON’T TAKE MY BABY FROM ME!”

What ensued was the most horrifying 30 hours of our lives. Time warped, & I truly believed I had been trapped in the hospital for years. I thought I was in a series of escape rooms where if I solved the puzzle, they would let me keep my baby. If I failed, I would die. I genuinely believed I was playing a game between life & death. It felt. SO. REAL. My state was so severe that my family didn’t know if I would ever “come back.”

I almost didn’t make it.

But my heart & subconscious fought harder than I’ve ever fought before. And my loved ones fought alongside me.

And I survived.

(Continued in the comments…) by @thewildpine

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6 months ago

This goes out to all newly postpartum moms. Even though it may feel impossible right now, you will get through this & come out even stronger on the other side. You are beautiful, capable, tenacious & deeply loved. And most importantly, you are not alone! A multitude of moms stand behind you in solidarity & camaraderie. YOU GOT THIS. ♥️

And to my girl:
Happy BIRTHday to us, my sweet Maeve! I love you so so so much & you were beyond worth it. We did it. ♥️ by @thewildpine

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18 days ago

ENC0RE: 0PALITE CELESTIAL STUDS & 0PAL EARRINGS ✨

I was going to wait until the anniversary of @taylorswift’s album, The Life of a Showgirl, to release a reprise of opal earrings. HOWEVER, we were treated to 4 new songs yesterday, so I put the pedal to the metal & SET 0VER 50 ST0NES IN CELEBRATI0N!!

The initial album dropped when Maeve was only a week old. New music felt like such a gift as I embarked upon postpartum. Its release happed to coincide with our 1st rough night: intense cluster feeding, no sleep & breastfeeding struggles. It was brutal. In the thick of it, we listened to the new songs one by one.

When “Opalite” came on, the upbeat tune brought levity. Then the lyrics resonated TO MY CORE:

But my Mama told me It’s alright
You were dancing through the lightning strikes
Sleepless in the onyx night
But now the sky is OPALITE
Oh oh oh oh, oh my Lord
Never made no one like you before
You had to make your own sunshine
But now the sky is OPALITE

Dancing with our daughter to a song about perseverance through sleepless nights & choosing to create our own happiness was DAZZLING.

Opalite is a man-made stone. It is stunningly sparkly, & compositionally similar to its real counterpart. While the gems are alike, Opalite is remarkably striking, albeit “fake.” Shimmering & beautiful.

As both a metalsmith and new mother, this metaphor captivated me. Inspiration struck.

I crafted limited edition Opalite Celestial Studs to celebrate choosing to EMBRACE JOY in the midst of hardship. Because sometimes, in order to survive, you have to fake it ‘til you make it. When the darkness seems all encompassing, harness l all of your grit to manufacture your own happiness. You’ll make it through.

✨N0W IN THE SH0P!!✨

**Opal studs are ready to ship & Celestial Studs are made-to-order & ship within 1-2 weeks.

The perfect adornment as you enjoy ENC0RE! by @thewildpine

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21 days ago

Content note: This episode discusses bipolar disorder, postpartum psychosis, psychiatric hospitalization, hallucinations, and the loss of a parent. Please take care while listening.

The final episode of Season One of The Reinvention Project: From Rupture to Becoming is here.

Laura Niblack: A New Pine

Laura Niblack is a metalsmith, outdoor adventurer, mother, and the artist behind The Wild Pine.

One month before giving birth to her daughter, Maeve, Laura lost her mother. Two months into motherhood, she experienced postpartum psychosis—a terrifying mental health crisis that left her hospitalized and, afterward, struggling to regain abilities most of us never have to think about.

In this conversation, Laura speaks so openly about losing her grip on reality, the complicated intersection of bipolar disorder and motherhood, ending breastfeeding in order to heal, and the family and friends who stepped in when she and her husband could no longer do it alone.

We also talk about art.

Around Laura’s neck throughout our conversation is a tiny silver conelet. I noticed that ,when our conversation became difficult, Laura would reach for it and turn it between her fingers. Her body seemed to settle.

That small object carries so much of her story: her mother, her daughter, The Wild Pine, her illness, her art, and the self she feared she had lost.

At one point, Laura describes finally returning to her metalsmithing bench after psychosis and realizing through the familiar movements of her hands:

“I’m still myself. I’m still in there.”

Thank you to Laura for trusting me with her story, and thank you to every person who has listened, shared an episode, reached out, or spent time with these conversations over the course of Season One. I am enormously grateful. by @thewildpine

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2 months ago

THEY’RE BACK: Mountain Maven Ear Jackets!

My design of this 3-in-1 earring debuted 10 years ago! You can wear these as pictured, or simply just the studs, or pair the jackets with another set of studs! The possibilities are endless.

I decided to celebrate a decade of ear jackets by creating a hug batch of them to release on Tuesday, June 23 at 5pm ET! All of these pairs as well as a bevy with tear drop stones will drop on that day!

Which hue is your fav?? 💚🩵💙 by @thewildpine

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4 months ago

Nine months in, nine months out. 🪻🌞

We returned to very same lupine field where we took our pregnancy announcement photos. We celebrated our little family by capturing new special moments amongst the flowers.

Our dear friend @photocait did such a beautiful job- and it hilariously ended in an insane deluge of rain where we had to run for our lives!! But we were rewarded with a glorious rainbow! Worth it.

Maeve is pure joy and we are beyond honored to be her parents! Here’s to many years of commemorating our love in the Lupines. 🤍🪻 taken in Maine by @thewildpine

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4 months ago

A trip down Flat Lay memory lane…cause it’s nearly TURQUOISE SEASON! 💃🏼💎

I quit my job on a whim to start this metalsmithing endeavor back in early 2016, when flay lays & antique barn wood were all the rage. Turns out the millennial hipster in me will forever love a good flat lay display, so it’s become a tradition for every batch of jewelry I create. HOW SATISFYING is it to see it all together? The hours upon hours of work, sore hands & torn up fingers are always worth it when the joy of the finished pieces eclipses the immense effort.

These snapshots represent the gradual evolution of my style and skills over the years. Do you remember any of these collections?

I finally finished fulfilling my queue of orders (thank you thank you!) and am beyond excited to have a clean slate again to design new jewelry. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE NEXT?!💎🩵 by @thewildpine

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5 months ago

WOW! Thank you for an incredible release! Y’all showed up in droves & I am so glad you loved this collection as much as I did! ✨

There are still 4 beautiful pinecone rings in the shop, and out of gratitude, I wanted to offer a discount- use code APPRECIATION at checkout for 10% off!

I couldn’t do this without you, thank you for so generously receiving my work and helping me support my family! Wishing you a lovely weekend! 🧡 by @thewildpine

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5 months ago

Sublime Studs: high grade, RARE turquoise set simply and ready to be your new summer staple.

So glad I rephotographed these, blues are so hard to capture and I feel that I finally did them justice! Stone varieties are: Turquoise Mountain, Number Eight, Kingman and Carico Lake. Natural wonders to behold!

Now available in the shop! ✨💎 by @thewildpine

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4 months ago

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2 months ago