Thomas Mann Studio Flux, New Orleans

Thomas Mann's jewelry-making career began when he was a teenager, working for a silversmith and peddling bangle bracelets at his high school. When he went to college, he majored in performing arts—but his talent for manipulating metal demanded an outlet, and soon, he was attending art shows and selling out of pieces. In his signature "Techno.Romantic" style, he shapes hard materials into alluring charms such as hearts and bird nests, crafting jewelry that appears both industrial and whimsical.

Today, Mann offers a whole host of learning tools at studioFLUX, where he teaches classes, makes educational DVDs, and sells tools and supplies. Sessions focus on a variety of jewelry-making techniques, from learning to use a jeweler's saw to mastering the art of telling silver from gold with your eyes closed.