The Wooden Jewel, Inc

Michael and Denise Bryant owners of the Wooden Jewel opened their doors February 14th 2013 in the Sunriver Village shopping area in Sunriver, Oregon. They decided that after years of traveling to art shows and long days on the road that they could combine their experience and talents in one place and stay close to home.

Michael is an international award winning sculptor. Born and raised in Oregon, Michael spent most of his childhood hunting and fishing in Oregon's masterful landscapes.

Michael was born with a natural gift for the arts but he wasn’t able to express those desires until much later in life.  He worked in the drilling business early on in his career traveling on many environmental and exploratory jobs.

Michael did not attend formal art training but gained much of his artistic inspiration from watching his mother who was an accomplished painter in the Bend, OR. area.  His exposure to the arts provided the foundation he’d one day need to begin his art career.  In the late 90’s he began with lamps and furniture and along the way he progressed into his true passion of sculpting animals.  Not long after and many art shows he began winning awards and gifts for his talents. 

Sculpting animals is truly his gift and where he finds himself lost in the spirits of the creatures he magically brings to life.  Sculpting single, solid pieces of some of the most beautiful woods North America has to offer, Michael ‘s talents are a gift to us all.

Denise grew up in Minnesota and her love of gems and rocks started in the 7th grade when she took a field trip to the limestone caves along the Mississippi River.   Reading about rocks, gems and fossils in class, her tom-boyish instincts took over on the field trip that day.  She scavenged through rocks and dirt hoping to find a small treasure.    No rock went unturned that day and her efforts paid off.  She found a several million year old trilobite fossil.  From that day she spent much of her childhood collecting rocks, fossils and gems not knowing one day she’d have her own jewelry store.  In November of 2000, Denise opened her first store in Montana.  Her passion for gems led her to attend the Gemological Institute of America, where she gained the formal knowledge of the rocks and gems from her youth.  A few short years later in 2008 and again in 2016 and 2017, she was honored to make the “Top 50 Jewelry Retailer” list, a prestigious award from the jewelry industry itself.  Her little store was among some of the most well known and extravagant stores in the U.S.   “I was in awe and disbelief at first, I thought someone had made a mistake but soon after I realized it was true. I just like to treat people well and do honest business.   My beliefs were based on what God had expected of me.  It is a long journey with God but over time he teaches you how to live an honorable life, laugh at yourself and how to love with your whole heart.    This journey was just beginning and my life improved dramatically when I met my best friend and now husband at an art show in Las Vegas”.     Needless to say I moved to Oregon and well here we are.

Since opening our doors, we are so over joyed with the response that we have received from the Sunriver locals and patrons from the great Northwest.  Thank you Sunriver!