Elaine Unzicker received her M.F.A. in jewelry from Illinois State University in 1986.

It was during my training that I learned how to make chain mail. And what a natural and almost easy craft for me; it seemed to flow without effort. I loved the fact that metal could be soft and flexible, but still hard and strong. The interest in chain mail never left.

Manipulating metal into chain mail came naturally to Elaine. Inspiration comes from seeing the body as an armature. How does the piece lay and move on the body? These questions inform her designs. Color patterns of anodized aluminum chain mail interlocked one ring at a time overlay the stainless surface. Or, she may embellish the chain mail with castings from nature in bronze or gold-plated brass. Alternately, pearls are used to soften the metal.