Joanne Wiertella has over 20 years of experience in collecting and researching American antique jewel boxes. Her collection includes sales catalogs with pictured jewel boxes from the early 1900’s. Wiertella received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Eastern Michigan University. She traveled to the Romance Countries, notably Italy, where she discovered and continues to appreciate Gothic and Romanesque architecture as well as frescos, paintings, and other decorative elements.

    Her passion for the arts has expressed itself in weaving, painting, designing needlework projects, writing articles for a craft publication, and designing costumes. Wiertella has also worked with her husband Larry in his natural resources and ecology endeavors. Joanne and her husband live in Michigan where they share their love of art, crafts, music, and collecting with their two grown children.