Balli Gallery

Jeweler Jose Balli of southern Louisiana worked in a metal fabrication shop just out of high school, shaping and welding custom equipment for the oil industry. One day, while waiting for a machine to cut through an enormous pipe, he killed time by carving a tiny alligator from a scrap of soapstone. Coworkers encouraged him to take up art seriously and, thus, began Balli's 20-year career creating Bayou State designs with a naturalistic appeal. Using an ancient method, Balli carves his intricate pieces into wax that is then converted into metal, using gold and sterling silver. Since the wax mold pattern is destroyed by the transfer, it is known as the "lost wax" method. Many of his much-sought pieces carry Louisiana motifs, such as seafood, alligators and fleurs-de-lis, producing award-winning designs with a Cajun twist.