John Iversen was born in Hamburg, Germany, and moved to the United
States when he was a teenager. At the age of 17, he trained as an apprentice in the European tradition of metalsmithing. Iversen uses nature to inspire his work. He collects real pebbles, berries, hydrangea petals, and particularly leaves to create his work. Using a delicate process known as nature casting, Iversen leaves the front of the organism untouched, leaving small imperfections which he believes gives an essential quality to the finished product. Iversen was recognized for his exceptional work by Smithsonian in 2001.