Tony Heyl makes bracelets. He also makes charms, small sculptures, earrings, rings, necklaces, and a myriad of other jewelry items and small sculptures.

But his Boothbay Harbor store and studio, A Silver Lining, has become increasingly popular due to The Maine BraceletTM — his design of a band of gold, silver or brass, with the fastener a sculpture of a lobster claw — also in gold, silver or brass.

The Maine BraceletTM has become an icon of sorts for A Silver Lining, dominating its creations, logos, advertising and charitable donations. Heyl, a metalsmith, began making the now trademarked bracelet in 1999. It has taken off since then and become his biggest seller.

Easily recognizable, the bracelet is a one-of-a-kind accessory coveted by pretty much any woman with a wrist, a love of the ocean, lobsters and/or fine, well-designed jewelry.

After copyrighting the bracelet in 1999, Heyl had it trademarked in 2007, the year his Maine Bracelet Company was formed. It is, by far, the most popular design created by A Silver Lining, which was established in 1978.

“There are several iconic images that come to mind when visitors think of Boothbay Harbor: The footbridge, sailboats, foghorns, lighthouses,” Heyl said in a written letter. “Lobster is preeminent, of course, catalyzing images of the classic lobster boats gracing the waters while working and resting, dinner plates bursting with a myriad of delicious creations, and many objects and art forms in astonishing abundance.”

Heyl said the idea for the bracelet came to him after seeing customers wearing the popular Cape Cod Bracelet. That bracelet was designed by metal artist John Carey of Dennis, Massachusetts in 1968. Heyl learned that the Cape Cod Bracelet had never been trademarked, and that neglecting to do so had led to some difficulties for Carey and his family.

After looking into it and discovering that The Maine Bracelet name had not been trademarked by someone else, he proceeded to do just that. At that point, Heyl's already popular lobster claw bracelet was christened “The Maine Bracelet.” It now adorns wrists around the world as a cherished reminder of Boothbay Harbor.

Much of Heyl's time during winters is spent carving new designs, for bracelets and other things. Besides the lobster claw, Heyl makes bracelets with a haddock, a halibut, a flounder, a sand dollar, a mussel, a scallop, an oyster, an octopus, blueberries, a starfish, a crab, an anchor, a sailboat, a heart, the state of Maine, and Southport and Squirrel islands. A new bracelet, the lobster gauge bracelet, is gaining in popularity daily.

He's making one now with lobster boats, with the names of the boats engraved on them.

Melissa Matthews, who is working as a bartender at Ports of Italy this summer, has a Maine Bracelet. “I love my Maine Bracelet,” she said. “I've been wearing it since 2009 and it doesn't look any different than the day I received it. I've seen people from Maine to Key West with the bracelets, and I've had more compliments on mine than any other piece of jewelry I own. Many of the compliments come during the season when I'm tending bar at Ports of Italy. I'm not sure how many people follow through with my recommendation, but I’ve sent hundreds of people over to the store. Last week a woman noticed mine. I sent her over and the next day she stopped back by the restaurant to let me know that she in fact did go over and was in love with her new purchase.”

Heyl said thanks to that popularity of the bracelet he has a hard time keeping up with demands these days. “In 1999 I only had one in the showcase. Now we have 40 — all different sizes — the claws and the bracelet widths.

A Silver Lining is located at 21 Townsend Avenue. Call 207-633-4103 or visit http://www.asilverlining.com.