Maria Tsangaropoulos comes from an artistic family and was raised to be an artist. She was encouraged to draw and sculpt from an early age in tradition with her great grandfather and his family of sculptors in Italy. As a child her Mother supported her many artistic hobbies. She remembers going into Tiffany’s with her Mom when she was twelve years old and becoming truly captivated by the beauty of the jewelry.

Taking a jewelry course in college opened the door to her career in the jewelry industry.

While working on her AA at Cerritos College in art / design and then her Bachelor of Fine Arts from California State University in Jewelry and Metalsmithing in 1980, Maria worked in jewelry sales in a department store and then later apprenticed for Dutch Goldsmith, Ernestine Raab Green in Laguna Beach.

Upon completion of her schooling in California, she left to gain experience in NYC, where she cultivated her talents while working in many positions from a jeweler of high karat gold and platinum to model maker and then to the executive positions in product development, engineering and production.

Currently Maria is instructing at the Gemology Institute of America (GIA).

 

​MARIA TSANGAROPOULOS / BIO