Quality Handmade Jewelry.

It's not quick. It's not easy. It's not cheap.

It's quality.

I have stood at a crossroads countless times over the years. It seems that my mission often contradicts itself in practice. I am seeking to bring heirlooms of genuine value for a reasonable cost to as many people as possible. As you can expect, reasonable cost and the volume required to serve many are at odds with producing something of genuine value that will last physically and in terms of its stylistic appeal over generations. And as we all know, it is what we do at the crossroads that determines where we end up in life.

Let me take a moment to describe what I mean by genuine value. This is particularly difficult to understand within the realm of jewelry, and perhaps even harder to achieve. There is personal value, which can be given to a piece due to the occasion for a gift or the person who gave the gift. There is shock and awe value in terms of the value of materials or the sparkle and dazzle of a piece of jewelry. However, when I think of genuine value, there are many factors that must come together to create this.

For one, scarcity. If an item is one of one million, it has inherently lost value. Simply because there are so many, it is not as unique, not as meaningful, it just doesn't carry as much weight. Something that is one of three is much more valuable, and one of a kind is the peak of value in terms of scarcity. Not only due to the lack of any other of this piece, but also because it takes more effort, more time, and often more resources per piece to manufacture one than it does to manufacture one million. After all, how much impact does it have when someone pulls out their iPhone? A truly spectacular technological item, yet it is in no way special.

Another aspect of value is durability, or perhaps longevity would be a better way to think of it. A piece must be durable if it is to be worn for anything other than a costume ring or pendant. But what happens when the styles change? If the piece sits in a jewelry box because it is no longer desirable for the current trend? So the design must also be something that stands the test of time in order to have the highest value. You will see many outfits, cars, and pieces of jewelry which are flashy and trendy, yet years later will look silly or even ugly once the trend is done.

The final necessary tenet of value is craftsmanship. This is the cornerstone of my philosophy of value. There is no substitute for a handmade item of great craftsmanship, and the appreciation of quality therein will never fade. We treasure the items made for kings from thousands of years ago, not simply because of the beautiful materials (after all, there are many gaudy and trite relics of solid gold and extraordinarily valuable stones), but we value them for the handiwork of the creator. From furniture to watches, to hand-engraved firearms and knives; we are amazed most of all by craftsmanship.

So if I am to bring heirlooms of genuine value at a reasonable cost to as many people as possible, you can expect that I find myself often in conflict. Trying to produce for many, while producing quality means saying no to volume time and time again in favor of quality. Yet I continue to find ways to create efficiency in process and in product. One of my newest solutions to this conflict is the new jewelry line I am designing and producing currently. This will be my first reproduction jewelry line, focused on creating multiple tiers of pricing based on material and design selections for my clients. My signature lines will bring pieces of incredible beauty and craftsmanship to more people than ever before. This gives me the freedom to continue pursuing excellence above all else in my artisanal and heirloom series where I am less sensitive to creating within a certain budget.

If I wanted to be a purveyor of cheap goods, then I could make my process quick and easy. I am, however, unwilling to sacrifice genuine value in my process and products. The problem for me is that if I sacrifice this value in what I produce, then I can only conclude that I have sacrificed this value in myself. I will ever hold myself to the highest standards of scrutiny and the highest pursuits in my craft. In this way, I hope to mirror my own Creator and reflect my clients' eyes upward to that which is highest. In this way, I hope to connect people to this truth for generations to come.