Jewelry & Gem Artisans

Dror Galili - Innovation in the Diamond Industry

2010-02-02T07:41:00.000-08:00

Dror Galili is well-known within the diamond industry as Vice President, Business Development of the leading global diamond group, Almod Diamonds, and as Regional Director of its subsidiary, Almod Namibia. For the past few years, his energy and vision have been instrumental in opening new horizons for Almod Diamonds, ensuring its steady growth and bringing it to the next level.

A native of Israel, Galili is a third generation diamond industry professional. His grandfather was among the pioneers of Israel’s diamond manufacturing. His father Benjamin Galili has been in the trade for over 30 years and owns a wholesale company with branches in Israel and the United States.

Galili was just fifteen when he began working in his father’s Tel-Aviv factory doing everything from administrative tasks to sales and diamond grading. In 2001, when the Galili family established SBM Diamonds in New York, Dror transitioned into management and became one of the entity’s shareholders. Unlike many diamond industry families’ offspring who go straight into the trade, Galili also studied accounting and graduated with honors (Summa Cum Laude) from Adelphi University (BBA) and Baruch College (MS).

The mystique of diamonds remains his focus. “I have lived with diamonds since I was a child. I fell in love with the process of taking the rough, which look just like rocks, and making shiny diamonds out of them.” “These same diamonds,” Galili points out, “are the means by which people commemorate the most important moments of their lives.”

Galili's extraordinary accomplishments, talent and passion have earned him much respect within the diamond trade. He will certainly remain at the forefront of the international diamond industry as one of its most successful executives and strongest advocates.

How did you get your foot in the door in the "Diamond Industry"?

In 2005, Galili joined Almod Diamonds, which owns the largest Caribbean retail chain, DI Diamonds International. “I started in the CFO’s office as an accountant doing bank reconciliations, consolidations, and financial statement reviews.” But Almod Diamonds’ President, Albert Gad, saw Galili’s greater potential to engage in other areas of the business and to operate on the executive level. Galili became involved with the company’s manufacturing and retail management, as well as working with the team that is overseeing its cooperation with major cruise lines.

What challenges have you faced in this position?

One of his challenging assignments was “to work out Almod’s relationship with DTC and to implement DTC’s Best Practice Principles.” The Diamond Trading Company (DTC) is the rough diamond distribution arm of De Beers and the largest supplier of rough diamonds in the world. Under Galili’s able leadership, Almod Diamonds achieved full compliance with DTC’s rigorous requirements and became one of only 80 DTC’s Sightholders around the world and only 11 NDTC sightholders in Namibia in 2007. This privileged status enables Almod Diamonds to buy rough diamonds directly from the source.

What would you consider your finest achievement to-date?

Galili is one of the Almod team’s significant leaders that is recognized for the company’s most impressive achievements to date, which is the development and promotion of Almod’s in-house proprietary brand - the Crown of Light, a 90-facet premium diamond cut, famous for its extraordinary brilliance. In 2009, only two years since its launch, the Crown of Light has generated nearly $30 million USD in sales due to a great company-wide team work effort which Galili is so proud to be part of. The cut was designed to elicit what Galili calls the “Wow! effect”, an appreciative response by a female consumer to seeing this diamond compared to a standard round brilliant stone. In promoting this new brand, Galili has nurtured vital inroads with companies like MGM and SONY Entertainment, and devised other strategies uncommon and innovative for the diamond industry.

It seems that you have taken "branding" and Marketing in the Industry to a new level...what are your thoughts on Marketing in the Industry?

Galili has been a pioneer and a vocal proponent of branding in the context of diamond jewelry marketing. In a world where virtually all consumer products are branded, the diamond industry is still in the process of adopting the brand name approach to marketing. In such circumstances, developing brand awareness among consumers is very difficult. In large part through the talent, vision and persistence that Galili brings to the Crown of Light management team headed by Albert Gad, the Crown of Light success is an extraordinary triumph for Almod.

Galili is very definitive in expressing his views on how diamonds should be marketed. “I would like to transform consumer perception of diamonds and diamond jewelry,” he explains. “With the Rapaport price list and other ways in which we conduct business, diamonds are treated as a commodity, and I think this is faulty logic. Diamond brands should be treated like people treat Luis Vuitton, Prada, Cartier and other luxury brands,” Galili points out. When consumers go to retailers to buy deluxe goods, they are prepared to pay premium prices. As for branded diamonds, many consumers still focus on their price and attempt to bargain over it, instead of considering the guaranteed quality and trusted value represented by the brand. “We hope to affect a shift in paradigm thinking by being part of the conversation with jewelry appraisers and other professionals about properly valuing premium diamonds,” says Galili.

Tell me about the Namibian connection...

Most of the Crown of Light patented diamonds are produced in Namibia. Galili has been in charge of designing and overseeing Almod’s Namibian operation since its inception. In 2007, he and his team secured a sight with NDTC, a joint venture between the Namibian government and De Beers, for the years 2008-2011, and obtained the licensing needed to build a manufacturing facility. Today, Almod’s factory in Windhoek, Namibia is fully operational and employs over 95 people. As a Regional Director of Almod Namibia, Galili also plans to develop a retail network and foster tourism activities in Namibia from other African & European countries.

The contribution of De Beers and its Sightholders in the producing countries through mining and manufacturing activities maintains a strong hold on Galili. “The diamond industry is a powerful force in many countries and in the lives of their people. But its biggest influence lies in Africa. I was very excited to accept the challenge of expanding our efforts into Namibia.”

How is Almod "giving back" to the Nambian Community?

He finds gratification in other aspects of this business besides witnessing the stellar ascent of his company’s favored brand. “I love giving back to the community and positively impacting people’s lives.” Galili found the perfect vehicle for expressing this sentiment - Namibia’s Baby Haven orphanage. This charitable foundation cares for Namibia’s most vulnerable victims: children of HIV-AIDS parents. Through Galili’s persistence and the support of the company’s owners, Almod is partnering with Baby Haven’s cause by delivering practical aid to the children. For Galili, the contrast between children in the States or Israel and these orphans is profound. “If I give a soccer ball or a Frisbee to any kid in America or Israel, it wouldn’t mean much—basically they might expect an iPod. But to see the look in their eyes when we bring those things to the kids at Baby Haven—it’s as if you gave them the world.”

What are your goals in the Industry and beyond?

Galili’s immediate ambition is to broaden Diamonds International brand awareness throughout North Americas launching the global awareness of the DI brand name. His long term goal, however, is to advance the interests of the international diamond community by taking an active role in explaining to consumers what the diamond industry contributes to humanity.

Top Ten Resources

Resources and Influencers that put you on your current track in life....

1. Industry related books: "From Mine to Mistress" by Chaim Even-Zohar; "Diamond Design" by Marcel Tolkowsky; "Secrets of the Gem Trade" by Richard W. Wise

2. Industry related Periodic magazines & journals: Rapaport, JCK, National Jewelers, Modern Jewelers, Gems & Gemology by GIA, newsletters of trade organizations such as JVC, NAJA, DDC, IDMA and more.

3. TV DVDs: Sopranos, 24, 30 Rock

4. Movies: Avatar, GodFather movies, James Bond movies, Gladiator, 300

5. Books: many Holocause related books as I research and investigate many events that relate to the Holocaust as well as volunteer in Non for Profit organizations. I am against genocides of any kind and think that the world should learn from what happened in Nazi Germany so it never happens again to any nation. Some examples: books of award winning New York Times American author,Edwin Black, such as" IBM and the Holocaust"; The "Hitler of History" by John Lukacs; "Ethics and Extermination: Reflections on Nazi…"

by Michael Burleigh.

6. Authors: Dan Brown, Edwin Black, Ram Oren

7. Music: wide range of music that include Israeli, Greek, Latin, American Rock and Pop, Classic, New Age Music

8. Favorite Bands & Singers: ColdPlay, Madonna, Depeche Mode, Mashina (Israeli Band), Ishtar of the Alabina band

9. Apple Computers and Steve Jobs

10. Peter Lik Fine Art Photography

Credit goes to Diana Jarrett for the pulling the information for this interview together and to Mindat and NiceIce for the photos of Diamond Rough.

Lee Marshall - Innovator, Inventor & Dreamer...

2009-06-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

January 2010 - Addendum: the newest of Knew Concepts saws is a truly remarkable replacement for the saw jewelers use daily! Cynthia Eid wrote a great piece which gives info on the progression of these saws ... Development of the Latest Knew Concept Saws by Cynthia Eid

Lee Marshall is an innovator, inventor and dreamer...if you are a jeweler you owe a debt of gratitude to this ingenious man!

I am honored to count Lee as more than an acquaintance - he is my peer and a friend - you can only truly appreciate his role in the Industry by actually "using" one the tools he has developed. From the Bonny Doon Hydraulic Press (the biggest hammer in the studio" to his latest the Knew Concept Electric Saw (a jeweler's scroll saw).

Lee Marshall - The Man
Who hasn't seen Tee shirts emblazoned with sayings such as "TOOL FOOL", bumper stickers with "I BRAKE FOR TOOLS"?

How many times have you as a jeweler, given an encircled picture or catalog description of a tool or machine with the notation saying: "This is the one that I want for my anniversary, wedding,birthday, holiday, etc"?

Jewelers fall into a very special category of unique individuals. Those on the "outside" have a hard time coming up with gift ideas for them.

Flowers won't work with this crowd; candy leaves them cold, brandy isn't the answer, and diamonds...they would only use them to make something for someone else!

No, the best way to show love or friendship to this group is to give them a tool.

These folks still cherish their very first good tool, and probably still use it every day. In my case, I still have tools given to me by my father over sixty years ago, and even though I don't use them much anymore, as our interests diverged, I still fondle them with reverence.

Good tools free creativity, while poor tools limit it.

I have been making tools for jewelers and metalsmiths for more than twenty years, and for the longest time didn't recognize that my appreciation for tools and machinery was shared by others. This was brought home to me when I shipped a tool to a customer and it happened to arrive on her birthday, along with a box of long-stemmed roses from her brother, and a package from her husband. As she related this story to me later, she confessed that she opened mine first. After all, the piece that she was working on needed the tool to finish it, and her husband would get to see her open his gift to her. Now, this is rationalization of the first order.

For the past 20 years, I have been trying to figure out how to describe to others what it is that I do. I realize now that I occupy a very small niche within the universe circumscribed by the field of jewelry.

While some would say that I am an insignificant piece of the larger puzzle, I feel that I participate in making objects of beauty. That's good enough for me.

What I do is create jewelry for jewelers.
The Company
Knew Concepts - Fine MetalSmithing Equipment Designed for Artisans: Jewelery fabrication equipment for the discriminating individual. "Buy once, buy well." Every item here is designed and manufactured by Lee Marshall, world renowned designer of the original Bonny Doon Hydraulic Press.

Every item is made in the U.S. with full backup for every product. My approach to design is that all improvements are "backward compatable" to the older product. That way, you the customer, are always supported throughout the life cycle of anything that you buy from us.

(I apologize for the spacing issues below - not sure how to correct it)
Lee Marshall Wins MJSA Innovation Award

   He's done it again. Lee Marshall, the creator of the Bonny Doon line of metalsmithing equipment, has developed a new line of products that is already improving not only the productivity but the health of metalsmiths. The Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (MJSA) has recognized one of the new products, a blanking die saw called the Precision Saw Guide 2, with a 2007 Innovation Award. As pleased as Marshall is to receive the industry recognition, the gratitude he's receiving from his customers is what genuinely makes him happy. A long-time customer of Marshall's, Jennifer Friedman of Ventura, California recently told Marshall, "Without your good work our bodies would be killing us. You do great work for us Lee." You may not be aware of the daily bodily punishment metalsmiths endure. All four of the major causes of work-related back pain identified by the Mayo Clinic - force, repetition, posture, and stress - are of particular concern for metalsmithing jewelers. It takes a great deal of strength to cut, bend, and raise metal, and since 1990 Marshall's hydraulic press line has been credited with enabling beautiful metal work while saving the backs of the artists who produce it. Another occupational hazard understood by all jewelers is the ubiquitous sternum dent. It's the painful spot developed by all jewelers as they compress a saw frame between their chest and the bench to tighten every saw blade. This is just one of the problems solved by Marshall's Precision Saw Guide 2, on which the blade tensioning occurs by turning a knurled knob on the top of the upper blade clamp. The most aggravating problem jewelers experience when sawing metal is constant sawblade breakage. The Precision Saw Guide 2 significantly reduces blade breakage in two ways. First, the frame is designed for extreme rigidity, with vertical alignment incorporated into the frame itself. This rigidity ensures the blade will not deviate from perfect vertical alignment. Second, a brass hold-down pin prevents metal from binding and jumping - another cause of broken sawblades. The hold-down pin also provides guidance and support to the blade itself, allowing more pressure to be applied to the blade. Jim Binnion of James Binnion Metal Arts in Bellingham, Washington and an MJSA Innovation Awards judge says, "The saw frame is in alignment with the work in such a way that you can make precision cuts by hand - cuts that previously were attainable only with a machine tool. This is a tool for someone like me - a small jewelry designer who is trying to do limited scale production but doesn't have a lot of money to sink into tools." Another exciting invention from Marshall is his Knew Concept Power Saw, specially designed for metalsmiths to make controlled cuts with safety, and with the slower speeds required to dissipate heat. Renowned artist Daniel Brush is using Marshall's power saw for his current body of work in 1/8" thick stainless. He reports, "Every time I'm with the saw I say the same thing to Olivia, my wife. I frankly don't think I could make these pieces without this saw - not because of the time - but because of the smooth delivery. Cutting stainless by hand is like an ice-breaker going through Alaskan waters, choppy and irregular. This saw eliminates the inconsistency, and lets me cut a nice swath through the very mean waters." What keeps Marshall, in his mid-70s and certainly successful enough to settle into a well-earned retirement, developing new equipment? He says, "I have a commitment to the jeweler/metalsmithing community, and I can provide them with tooling and equipment that is unavailable elsewhere. I was rattling around in semi-retirement when I noted that my used saws (of an older design) were commanding almost full price on the Orchid market (www.ganoksin.com). Clearly there is a need, so I decided to take another look at the Precision Saw Guide." The Precision Saw Guide 2 is an excellent choice for the 2007 Innovation Awards. Innovation is best defined as the act of making improvements by introducing something new. The Precision Saw Guide 2 is an admirable example of this concept, improving both quality of product and quality of life for jewelers, and at a price ($385) all jewelers can afford. To see the Knew Concept line in action, go to http://knewconcepts.com and watch the demonstration videos. As Cynthia Eid of Cynthia Eid Designs commented: "I like this new saw frame so much that I have been using it even when I am not making a die. The angle of the handle is comfortable, and the blade-tightening mechanism is much nicer than pressing a saw frame between my chest bone and bench. The saw frame has potential for appealing to all jewelers - whether they have need of the blanking die capability or not. As with many inspirations, this tool is brilliant in its elegant simplicity."  
Click here for a detailed breakdown of this "knew concept" saw!

Lee's "Jewelry for Jewelers" and Press Release for the MJSA Award were first posted on the Orchid Forum.

Jessica Dow of Different Seasons Jewelry

2008-08-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

Jessica Dow with
Different Seasons Jewelry
http://differentseasonsjewelry.com/

If you have picked up the new ArtJewelry magazine you will see there is a new type of feature – the cover pendant accounts for three different techniques and step by step instructions in this issue! This is a great idea as it allows the issue to cover more beginning techniques like bezels while also offering the advanced artists a tutorial on engraving!

The featured artist(s) are Different Seasons Jewelry better known as Jessica Dow and Mark Anderson!!

I have known Jessica for a couple years now and in that time I seen her go from an insecure talent to a confident artist that, through her new partnership, will be a force to be reckoned with!

Tell us a little about you and what attracted you to the jewelry field.

I have always loved jewelry and gems but my greatest passion is for design. When I started playing with jewelry fabrication I began to see how designing jewelry seemed to tap into my talents and passion for art perfectly. From a very young age I felt I was an artist at heart. I had played around with other art mediums since my young teen years but had never found the one thing I felt truly connected to. Once I started designing and making jewelry I felt I had found my calling and I had discovered my artistic niche. I have one main goal when designing and fabricating my jewelry... to make something of beauty and quality. I love seeing my jewelry bring happiness to others!

What type of training have you had? how did you get your start and the progression that got you where you are today.

I started making jewelry after attending a couple of basic classes taught by Joe Hesselgrave at the Parks and Rec center in Tucson Arizona. After learning the bare bones of soldering I opted out of the class and started working by myself at home. At the time I was a single mother of a special needs child and leaving home to attend classes was difficult. I found some used equipment and tools through Kent's Tools in Tucson. I also bought some books such as The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight and Decorative Techniques for Craftsmen by Oppi Untracht. I believe I spent under $200.00 setting up the entire workshop. I was almost immediately drawn to the art of piercing. I love sketching and piercing allowed me to draw my own templates and bring those drawings to life in metal. Piercing has continued to be my favorite fabrication technique.

A year ago I moved to Wisconsin and joined forces with my fiancé Mark Anderson. Mark has been working with lapidary arts and jewelry design for about 8 years. He is one of the most talented artists I have ever worked with.

I started out doing my own lapidary work - cabbing my own material expanded my design abilities and enabled me to work with gems that were previously out of my price range. I rarely cut cabs anymore. Mark handles that aspect of our business which allows me the benefit of custom cut gems to fit my designs as well as more time to devote towards jewelry. It's hard to do it all yourself... working with Mark and my mother Martha has allowed me to focus on the aspects of jewelry making that I love most. I am currently training with Mark in the art of lost wax casting. I have been carving my first wax models and have been observing Mark during every step of the casting process. We have also gotten the tools and materials needed to begin adding enameling to our jewelry.... we're both very excited to begin experimenting with various enameling techniques! Mark is also teaching me advanced gem setting techniques such as channel setting and flush setting. I am excited to watch my work transform and progress as I learn new techniques. I feel I am merely at the beginning of an exciting journey.

Give the one piece of advice you wish you had gotten as a jewelry artist just starting out.

When learning a technique, take the time to learn it the correct way! Once I started working with Mark I discovered I had developed some bad habits with a couple of techniques. I not only had to learn the technique again the correct way but I also found it took me much longer due to having to break my old bad habits. If you are not in the position to get professional instruction, be sure you're learning from a good book by authors such as Tim McCreight or Oppi Untracht.

If you had the chance what would you do differently...more formal training? less? wider range?

Being the mother of a special needs child made it impossible for me to enroll in formal training in the first years of my jewelry making. I have found myself wishing I could have had the opportunity to attend classes at a school such as The Revere Academy. I am looking into finding the means to take some classes at Revere sometime this year to learn gold granulation.

We all have one aspect of our job that we like most...what is your favorite part of the jewelry making process?

I love everything about my job. From the moment I wake up I look forward to going into the studio. But if I had to pick one aspect of my work it would be sketching and piercing. Piercing has become second nature to me and I find it to be therapeutic and relaxing. I find the saw almost becomes an extension of my hand and I feel as though I am bringing my sketch to life. I have greatly improved with my piercing skills over the years but I know I can always get better. I feel as though I have merely scratched the surface of what there is to learn within this industry and I will always have something new to learn.

I also enjoy working hand in hand with a client in the process of custom jewelry design. Creating a piece with individuality that has special significance brings me real satisfaction. I have found the ability to listen and to be open to new ideas has had a positive impact on both my finished piece as well as the overall experience for my clients. I prefer not to rush through a project. I will create multiple sketches for my clients until we both feel the design is right. This does not feel like "work" to me... I enjoy every moment and I hope the joy I feel for my craft shows through in the pieces I create.

Your early pieces have a variety of gemstones...however, you seemed to have fallen hard for the Andamooka Opal - what makes it so special?

My passion with gems began with my love affair with Andamooka Gem Matrix opal. Andamooka Gem Matrix opal came to me through my very good friends Allan and Novi Shultz. Allan has worked as a miner in the Andamooka opal fields and has a lapidary workshop and opal showroom in Port Elliot, South Australia. In October 2006 I spent a wonderful month as their house-guest. Allan was very generous in passing his knowledge of mining, treating, cutting and polishing this unique variety of opal.

I was able to see what Andamooka Matrix opal varieties look like directly after it's pulled from the earth and how to spot the potential with the untreated rough. This opal is a bit more high maintenance than other opal types. The Gem Matrix variety requires a two part sugar/sulfuric acid treatment and the Rainbow Matrix (also referred to as "concrete") requires a less toxic sugar/heat firing treatment process. This treatment has been the one factor that keeps this opal type a bit more affordable than other pure or untreated opal varieties. While the price of this opal was part of my initial draw to Andamooka Gem Matrix , the beauty and personality of the material has kept me a loyal fan.

While working with Mark has broadened my horizons and I now work with a wide variety of gem materials, Andamooka Gem Matrix will forever be one of my top choices for jewelry designs. I highly recommend Allan Shultz as a source for high quality opal in both rough and finished form. Allan's Opal shop~ http://www.theopalminer.com/

Tell us about the two people you have collaborated with - Martha Borzoni and Mark Anderson - their influences and their affect on your work.

I have a rare opportunity to work with two very talented artists... my fiancé Mark Anderson and my mother Martha Borzoni. Since we met Mark has been a constant source of inspiration to me on both a personal and professional level. Mark has a wealth of knowledge both as a training gemologist, a skilled lapidary and a top notch jeweler. Mark has taught me a great deal about advanced fabrication techniques and gemstones.... rocks are his passion! His clean & elegant approach to contemporary jewelry design compliments my more feminine, art nouveau inspired style perfectly. We balance each other out and our collaborations are among my favorites in my portfolio. Most of the work I produce has Mark's influence within it in some way, whether it's the stones he cuts for me, his various advanced gem settings or the hand engraved detailing work he adds to my designs. Our Blue Velvet pendant is a perfect example. His hand engraving brings out the curves in the flower and his tension-set sapphire bail adds a modern, classy touch. I love working with Mark... I feel immense gratitude for the blessing of having a life partner who shares my passion for jewelry, gems and art.

Mark and I both consider my mother Martha Borzoni to be a valuable asset to our little company Different Seasons. Martha has developed into an extraordinary gem carver and wax carver. I have watched her progress from teaching herself how to cab opal about 2 years ago to the skilled opal carver she is today. My mother has always had immense artistic talent. From as early as I can remember I watched my mother draw and paint. My sister and I traveled with my mother a great deal as children. Her talents as an artist were often our means to a meal....she would set up her easel and do portraits on the beaches of Mexico, Maine or wherever we happened to be on any given day.

My mother's interest for carving stemmed from her own childhood. My grandfather was a master wood carver and from her earliest years she had a desire to carve herself. Her first medium was ice-cream... she would sit and carve her bowl of chocolate ice-cream and watch it transform into flowing, beautiful shapes.

What or who inspires you?

Nature is what inspires my jewelry most. It's quite simple... I find the natural world to be the most beautiful aspect of life and I want my jewelry to emulate that same beauty. I will spend hours studying and sketching the form of flowers, leaves, trees, insects, reptiles... whatever sparks inspiration in me. I go back to my sketches and many of them are transformed into a piece of jewelry. My love for gems is also one of the most influential aspects of my design process. A unique gemstone will speak to me and it seems to guide me in designing a frame to house and compliment its beauty.

I also love to look through the work of other artists. The Art Nouveau jewelry movement of the late 1800's-early 1900's has been one of my main sources for inspiration. Rene Lalique, Georges Fouquet and Jean Paul Miller are a few of my favorite jewelers. The Belgian architect and designer Victor Horta and Alphonse Mucha are also among my favorite artists and I refer to their work often for jewelry design concepts.

It would be nearly impossible to list all the artists I admire and find inspiration in. On a day to day basis my partner Mark is my greatest source of inspiration. He has one of the most inventive, artistic minds of anyone I've ever met. He approaches every project with an extraordinary level of determination and commitment that brings out the best not only in himself but the people that work with him as well.

I remember your first posts to the Yahoo Groups that we were both on - talk about the journey from fabricating your early designs to the commission work you do today - how did you get your name out?

I had been making jewelry for just over a year when I sent a photo of one of my pierced opal pendants to Lapidary Journal's Jewelry Artists magazine along with the photos I had taken during the fabrication process. I never expected anything to actually come of it.... I had assumed only an experienced jeweler with a solid reputation could get into a magazine the likes of Lapidary Journal. Lapidary Journal had been one of my biggest sources of inspiration when I first started making jewelry & cutting gems. I had dreams of getting my work within its pages someday. I literally nearly fell off my computer chair from shock when I opened up my e-mail and saw a message from one of the magazine's editors. She told me she wanted to print an article with one of my pierced opal pendants! I was thrilled and intimidated at the same time. It ended up being more work than I had anticipated but it was one of the best learning experiences I've had within this business thus far. That first article was just the beginning... since then Mark and I have had four full length step-by-step articles published, two gallery features, our recent cover with Art Jewelry magazine and we have another article coming out sometime this fall or winter.

Our "Sunstone Waves" article in Jewelry Artist was actually more of an assignment than a submission. The magazine had an issue coming out with a focus on Sunstone. We were asked to carve and set a sunstone gem in a sterling silver pendant. Mark did an amazing job with the carving and I designed and fabricated a pendant to compliment the gem carving. It was a fun project.

Have you been influenced by the opinions of teachers or other artists?
This is actually an interesting question. As a novice jeweler I enjoyed challenging myself with new fabrication techniques. Before I embarked on my process of self-education I had taken a few beginner jewelry silversmithing classes at a local Parks and Rec center. I had told my teacher that I wanted to make a reversible pendant. He discouraged me and told me it was too ambitious. He also thought it was silly to decorate the back of a pendant when it would be hidden... it was, in his opinion, a waste of time and work for something that didn't have good selling potential. Hearing his comments made me even more determined to attempt the reversible concept. At first I had quite a few ugly, half-melted disasters. One of the first reversible designs I was proud of was a piece from a series inspired by Egyptian hieroglyphs. It was a sterling silver pendant with the Eye of Horus pierced out from the back exposing the blue-green color of the chrysocolla cab I had cut.

Mark and I are still experimenting with reversible jewelry designs. Most recently we'd done a series of reversible spectrolite pendants. My sketchbook has been my most powerful tool with my progress as a jewelry designer. I will sit and draw for hours with a beautiful stone as my inspiration. Sometimes I get something wonderful very quickly and at times I have to return to my sketchbook multiple times until the right design comes to me.

Recently Mark and I started collaborating with other artists. The first artist we've chosen to work with is Casey Swanson. Casey is an amazing wire-wrapper and jeweler. Mark started teaching Casey some advanced gem setting techniques. During one of our three day sessions with Casey the three of us collaborated and completed our first pendant together. Mark used the piece as an opportunity to show Casey the entire process of channel setting, flush setting and bezel setting. More collaborations with Casey, Mark and I are currently in-process. I highly recommend doing collaboration projects with other artists. It's an extraordinary learning experience.

TOP TEN LIST

These are the books that I learned and lived by in my first 2 years making jewelry.... and I still refer to these books and others by the authors below...

The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreightMetal

Techniques for Craftsmen by Oppi Untracht

The Ganoksin Website~ The Gem and Jewelry World's Foremost Resource on The Internet.

DeviantART~ http://www.deviantart.com/

There is a wonderful Artisan Crafts community within DeviantART. Monthly contests, jewelry and metalsmithing groups, and a high level of artist-to-artist interaction has made this our favorite non-professional art related site to exhibit our work online.Different Seasons Jewelry on DeviantART~http://jessa1155.deviantart.com/

Robyn Hawk's Blogger sites (The Daily Jewel, Jewelry and Gem Artisans, A Fly on the Wall-View & Reviews, Tucson Gem Show~ Live!)

Allan's Opal shop~ http://www.theopalminer.com/

Art Jewelry Magazine~ Check out Art Jewelry’s website for free projects, forums, subscriber’s gallery, forums and blogs.

Lapidary Journal’s Jewelry Artist Magazine

Yahoo’s “Jewelry Arts” Group ~ This group gave me support and encouragement during my first years of making jewelry. I highly recommend this group to a jeweler of any experience level as a source of inspiration, support and jewelry related information.

The thing we have always loved about Jessica is that she is so willing to share her art...for more great photos and how-to help check out:

#1 Casting Tree before and after.Here is a blog on a recent casting project. It's not exactly a tutorial but it shows all the wax models before and after casting as well as the casting tree Mark made.

Casting Blog Link~ http://www.xanga.com/Jessa1155

#2 Pierced Andamooka Matrix Gem opal Pendant from Jewelry Artist June,2007.Step-by-step photo for my pierced opal pendant from June, 2007 Lapidary Journal. http://www.xanga.com/Jessa1155/590927760/jessicas-first-article-lapidary-journal-june-2007.html

#3 Process photos from one of my older pieces called "Carnelian Flame"Carnelian Flame Fabrication w/ soldering photos~http://www.xanga.com/Jessa1155/595501962/custom-carnelian-flame-pendant.html

Different Seasons Jewelry at: http://differentseasonsjewelry.com/

Follow Jessica on:
DeviantArt -

http://jessa1155.deviantart.com/
MetalChasers - http://metalchasers.com/Different_Seasons_Jewelry
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/jessa1155
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Charles Lewton-Brain: Maker, Innovator, Teacher

2007-11-16T15:11:00.000-08:00

Charles Lewton-Brain studied and worked in Europe and North America. He lectures and publishes in a number of countries on his research into rapid methods of manipulating metal and it's surface for artistic and manufacturing reasons. He has taught at the Alberta College of Art and Design since 1986 as well as writing, exhibiting and working in his studio. He is known internationally for inventing Fold-Forming, an original system of working sheet metal using simple tools that is a new way of working metal. He and his partner Dee Fontans opened The Lewton-Brain/Fontans Centre for Jewellery Studies in 1991 in Calgary where they teach jewellery making, exhibit innovative work from elsewhere in Canada and offer information on contemporary art jewellery. In 1994 he founded Brain Press to publish 'Cheap Thrills in the Tool Shop', a book of inexpensive tool options and bench tricks for goldsmiths. Other books include 'Small Scale Photography' and 'Hinges and Hinge-Based Catches for Jewellers and Goldsmiths'. 1996 brought the collaboration with Dr. E. Aspler and The Ganoksin Project.

Brain Press publishes the results of Charles Lewton-Brain's research, on metalworking and goldsmithing, workshop safety and jewelry photography; specialized, professional information for metalsmithing and jewelry making. His commitment "is to make quality information available for self education and the development of our field." http://www.brainpress.com/ or at his Lulu storefront at: http://www.lulu.com/brainnet

Over 500 pages of his writing on jewelry techniques can be found free of charge in the Tips from the Jeweler's Bench section at: http://www.ganoksin.com/

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This interview is a slight departure from my previous posts as it was written as a result of conversation and the multitude of articles published by this charming and inspirational man...Thank You Charles!

On a vacation to Taos, New Mexico with his girlfriend, Charles remembers watching a Native American gentleman grinding Turquoise and fabricating silver jewelry. His skills and willingness to share them with the young artist left a strong impression on the 17 year old working toward a career in the Graphic Arts.

From his start as a Graphics student at the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design the artist, the maker talks about spending “...my time in metals finding ways of drawing with the material, of working fast and with a commitment to the mark or decision that echoes my early love of drawing in pen and ink. So work with patinas, compositional approaches to applying gold to metals, fold-forming and my recent electroforming work all have to do with drawing.”

This man didn’t “find his passion” and then hide out in a studio working on masterpieces, hoping to be discovered. He mentored artists everywhere by example, by teaching them, introducing new techniques and publishing information so they could do it to!

Through a commitment to practice, exhibition and publishing he has become one of the most inspirational artists of our time. He is widely published and has an international following in topics ranging from techniques in metal, PR methods and studio safety to research papers on historical and technical subjects.

As an artist or in Charles’ terms – “a maker” – he invented fold-forming, a large system of working sheet metals that was completely new to the world. The technique uses simple hand tools to produce complex three dimensional and relief forms and structures rapidly. With numerous shapes and possibilities this technique and its results are widely used for sculpture, decorative blacksmithing and jewelry. The British Museum research lab (Metals Head, Paul Craddock) and the Rolex Awards for Enterprise confirmed this as a new, original approach to working metals in 1990.

His contemporary work has been in the area of “Wearable art” – challenging audience and wearer. This new work has been shown in numerous venues, magazines and the internet. His focus, since 1997, has been his “Cage” series with applications from Body Art to Jewelry, concentrating on the later. “Cage” jewelry is made by welding Stainless Steel wire with an Orthodontic Fusion Welder, the wire is then electroformed and literally grown in a copper-acid bath, finally it gets a heavy gold electroplating. Metalsmiths in jewelry programs worldwide have been taught techniques and work esthetics he developed and found ways to work them into their portfolios, crediting his teachings for their success as artists.

As an educator Charles has influenced many students, and directly taught his ideas about position, philosophy, learning and technique to several thousand people through workshops and lectures. He taught at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design from 1982-84, and in Calgary since 1986 at the Alberta College of Art and Design, where he has been jewellery/metals program head for over ten years. He has given over two hundred workshops and lectures internationally. Several years ago he reached a pivotal moment... “a student of mine was born the year I graduated college. I’ve now been at this for 34 years, and revel in one of the true joys of the metals world: you will never know it all, never run out of new things to learn, never stop making mistakes and discovering accidental insights in the material, the making, the wonder.”

You can see his complete professional history at: http://www.brainpress.com/LewtonBrain.html#prohist

So –you now know a little about the man, the “maker”, the teacher...now I want to share snippets of his words on different subjects...

On The Jewelry/Metal Community
“When I was twenty-one I was lucky enough to go on a trip round the world on a boat for 4 months. Every place we landed I went and sought out jewelers and metal workers, dressed politely, taking my chasing hammer, some punches and pieces I’d made. Everywhere I was taken in, fed, housed, treated as family. When you make jewelry, no matter how you make it you are in a club, and all of you are in that global club.”

On Jewelry
“Adornment, making decorative objects for the body, is one of the most ancient of human activities. Jewelry is in fact the oldest evidence of human activity. Ten years ago the oldest worked objects found showing signs of consciousness were dated to 45,000 years, three years ago it was pushed to 70,000 and last year to 100,000 years. And the oldest items found are beads. That’s how long we’ve been making jewelry. That is so long ago that I suspect it is hardwired into us, almost biology rather than culture.

Archeologists theorize that rather than merely being evidence of consciousness the act of self adornment, and working materials for self adornment may have actually driven the development of consciousness in early humans. That self adornment is what helped make us into thinking humans.”

On Ganoksin
With Dr. Hanuman Aspler, I co-founded the Ganoksin Project in 1996. This idealistic site has grown to be the largest source on the net for jewelry related information. We have over 4 million unique visitors a year who stay for an average of 17 pages. We have more than 600,000 pages of information, 700 pages of it my writing which is what started the site. The Orchid list is our email news list with over 6,500 members worldwide, and it takes our colleague Ton eight hours to prepare the 50 edited emails emitted daily, and archived on the site. We have partnership deals to republish content with 12 magazines including Jewelry Artist, Art Jewelry, Colored stone, MJSA journal, Metalsmith magazine and European Jeweller (GZ) magazine. If you like what we do please donate, as the whole thing runs on spit and the goodwill of its users. Together we co-founded the Clasp conference with the Bell group, SNAG, MJSA and Brad and Debby Simon’s bench media. This is a cross disciplinary project designed to break through the information silos of art jewelry, industry and bench jewelry sideways, sharing information and cross fertilizing to mutual benefit.

On Putting Your Goals On Paper
“You too can take control over your life and guide it towards what you want. Here is an opportunity for you to take charge of your life and construct it to what you want out of it. This means considering three and five year goals, writing it down, experimenting with potential paths just as you compose with your materials in art making. A written outline does not nail you down, instead it provides a skeleton to build on or change. And it is a funny thing, but merely writing it down seems to make it happen, seems to somehow guide innumerable small decisions and opportunities towards your goals.”

On Changing the Culture
“Every time you show your work, get published, get in an exhibition, sell a piece you are adding a small brick to the whole, adding to and creating a deeper, richer, more exciting place to be. It is the thousands of layers of decisions that make ancient cities and cultures interesting, and when you act as a maker, particularly if you spread your ideas using the media you are contributing to creating a better world.”

On Design
“There are a number of approaches to design. One is formal design where you are dealing with issues of composition, symmetry, asymmetry, visual weight. Another is to begin with content, meaning, emotion, and design a piece that tells a story, illustrates part of a sentence, a tale. This places the object in a larger context.
Whichever approaches turn you on it takes study and practice. And failure. I figure most of the pieces I make are ‘bad pieces’, and sometimes (more in recent times) I get lucky and the work is good. And the piece that is my ‘bad piece’ someone else will love. Where I worked in Germany, if every goldsmith in the shop agreed that a piece was an absolute dog you knew it was going to be a best seller. Who am I to tell others what to love? If something brings joy to someone why should I deny that to them? Anyway, you can practice design, get books on design principles, and draw and use collage because it is faster and less expensive in working out a design. In this way you will get through those ‘bad paintings’ faster. Choose a meaning to your work, make it part of a story, and designing will come easier as well as providing the public a bridge to your work, a way in to share, and appreciate what you are doing.”

On the Internet
"The internet dissolves geography, and Ebooks lets someone in Australia, or Africa, or the United States have immediate access to information, to create a book or paper right at their desk."

On his “Cage” series
“...in recent years I have been working with grids, as metaphors for human culture and the limits we place on ourselves. The series is called Cage work, and is made with an electronics fusion welder. I weld stainless steel wire, then electro-formed on it in copper, a blending of 20th and 19th century technologies, then have it electroformed in 24k gold on top.”

On Materials & Practice
“The material you use is just that, a material. It comes with characteristics, ways of working, and unconventional approaches to its use. It is how it is used, or accepted by audience that matters. Creating good work takes ideas, skill and practice...lots of practice. It has been said that 1500 hours of doing anything, flying a plane, making jewelry, carpentry make one an expert.

A teacher of mine had a teacher of his tell him that “...every painter has so many bad paintings in them, and all you can do is keep painting until most of the bad ones are gone”. I tell my students that to learn something technical it takes three times to begin to understand it, five times to do it right and thirty times to be competent. Practice makes perfect.”

On Writing It Down
“Generate content. Tell stories about your life, your ideas, your work.

Document everything.

Documentation gives people the ‘cultural handles’ they can use to make money on you, then you get to go along for the ride busily making whatever it is you want to and earning a living from the people in the art business who are making money on you and your cultural image. Give the people who are disposed to making money the tools to do it with you.”

On “That Business Thing”
“The point is to survive and prosper as an artist. This means that one has to deal with the basics of running a small business, independent contracting, contracts and marketing. It is the marketing that feeds one as no amount of wonderful art work will pay the rent and purchase materials unless it has a market. It is important that you possess the tools not merely to survive but to prosper as artists and individuals. This includes a good understanding of grants, PR methods, materials and sources, computer use, photography, basic digital image handling, marketing, presentation, oral and written justification of work, basic business and tax approaches etc. You have to be a better, smarter business person than most business people. And living off grants while you make your art work is a business choice.”

On Being a “Professional Artist”
“It is important that the role of artist in our culture not be a marginalized one. The stigma attached to actually earning a decent living from making art is a false one no doubt propagated by galleries, non-artist writers and certain academics who couldn't survive a week on the street if they tried. There is no need to have negative compromise be part of ones experience as a successful artist. You can have what you want without giving up anything of what you want to do.

I had an interesting conversation several years ago with an artist. She was feeling that she had somehow failed or opted out because she had a part time job for three days a week so as to have two days a week in the studio. I pointed out to her that a professional artist, who does it full time, probably gets about two days a week in the studio, the rest of that work week being taken up with paperwork, running around, doing non-art things. We are not counting the evening and weekend hours that one puts in anyway. There was, then, little qualitative difference in her experience from that of a full time artist. And she had benefits and no roller coaster worries about the rent. I came to the conclusion that either path was valid, since each offered a very similar art making experience.”

On Identity
“As a maker, identity, and the ability to express and communicate entertaining and intriguing aspects of it are what pays the rent, buys the bread. It is in fact a part of being a professional.

We do not make toasters. We make objects that grow from our lives, our minds, our materials and process. Not to mention our experience. There is an old story of someone questioning the price of a mug and asking how long it took to make. Then potter responds with “30 years and 15 minutes”.

You are buying the maker’s juice when you buy that mug. If it were just to hold a liquid Styrofoam works just as well. The buyer uses the maker as a metaphor for their own identity, their own inclinations and beliefs. The more stories and elements visible for the client to connect with the more likely it is that they will do so. Identity as a maker is vital in the relationship with audience.”

On Creating Your Identity
“You have to do it for yourself. Jeweler Thomas Mann once had a piece of his on the cover of American Craft, and various people whined about him sleazing the editors, getting on the cover. He hadn’t done anything, so he called the editors and asked “Why did you put my piece on the cover?’, and they said “you were the only one who sent a picture”. You would not believe how often one hears that refrain. Being a successful artist means keeping current press kits and photographic documentation. It means acting professionally and carrying out most of what you begin.

If you don’t engage with the culture nothing will happen. Simply having PR tools available allows things to happen. If you give your gallery all the digital images in all the dpi resolutions for print or web, and statements etc who do you think they will use when they need something? If you have them ready to email on an instant the likelihood of you being used is higher.”

...and Finally
Here are some guidelines to use when practicing as a maker.

Strive to have:

An attitude of thinking and questioning.

An attitude of conscious choice.

A knowledge of intent and how to realize it in personal terms.

Technical skill sufficient to fully realize personal artistic vision.

An understanding of choice in the finishing and resolution of their work.

Self Confidence to continue as an artist with a personally comfortable level of commitment.

Skills, research and resource finding abilities to allow you to prosper as artists and individuals.

An open minded, accepting view of the world without prejudice or unconsidered bias.

A knowledge and understanding that personal choice and a conscious life is available to you as artists and individuals.

An appreciation for hard work and persistence.

A professional attitude to work, behavior and professional commitments.

Top Ten List
This is Charles Lewton Brain’s list of References for the “Maker”

Theory and Practice of Goldsmithing by Erhard Brepohl - http://tinyurl.com/2mwbsq

(while this book is available in the original German – I have linked you to the English version)

Metal Techniques for Craftsmen by Oppi Untracht - http://tinyurl.com/3bqmvs

The Ganoksin Website - http://www.ganoksin.com/

The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight, actually, anything by Tim McCreight - http://tinyurl.com/39aksj

Professional Goldsmithing by Alan Revere - http://tinyurl.com/36snch

Design and Creation of Jewelry by Robert Von Neuman - http://tinyurl.com/2prglu

Contemporary Jewelry by Philip Morton - http://tinyurl.com/36p2xl

Any setting video by Blaine Lewis - http://www.newapproachschool.com/html/video.html

Metalwork and Enameling by Herbert Maryon - http://tinyurl.com/39bpfq

Any Santa Fe Symposium book - http://tinyurl.com/2vltlh

Richard Hughes: Gemologist & Adventurer

2007-08-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

Richard Hughes at the storied Kuh-i-Lal spinel mines, which lie high on a mountain above the Panj (Pamir) River, which separates Afghanistan (left) from Tajikistan (right). Photo: Dana Schorr.

A Brief BIO:

A native of the United States, Richard Hughes has spent many years in Asia, where his interest in precious stones was first kindled. Richard graduated from Bangkok's Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences in 1979; shortly thereafter he was invited to join their staff. He was later appointed executive vice-president, a position he held for close to a decade. Today he is Gemological Administrator and Webmaster at the American Gem Trade Association Gemological Testing Center.

Traveling to scores of countries in search of precious stones, Richard Hughes has authored two books and more than a hundred articles on all aspects of the gem and jewelry trades. His work can be found at ruby-sapphire.com, palagems.com, ganoksin.com and agta-gtc.com.
Richard is not afraid to speak his mind, displaying an uncanny knack for touching upon controversial subjects, including politics. Agree or disagree, there is no question his writings and lectures are among the most passionate in the world of gems, which is perhaps why his work has attracted such a strong following.

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In preparing for this interview I went to ruby-sapphire.com to learn a little more about Richard. WOW! What a whirlwind journey through life. This BIO is written with all the thrills of a great adventure story, take a minute to check out the full story at: http://ruby-sapphire.com/rwh-bio.htm

You have been to places that most people will never have the opportunity to visit from Burma, Chanthaburi, Sri Lanka and Nepal...to Kathmandu! What affect has this first hand experience had on your work in the laboratory?

In my opinion, there is no substitute for hands’ on experience, and for natural gemstones this necessarily begins at the mines. Be it origin determination or separating natural from treated or synthetic gems, it all begins at the source.

If you had the chance to do it again, what would you do differently...more formal training? less? wider range?

I wouldn’t change a thing. Moving to Asia at such a young age allowed me to experience gemstones at a level most just dream about. And now that I’ve had the chance to work in a well-equipped lab, I appreciate how valuable hands-on experience at the source can be.

You have worked with a number of prestigious companies and laboratories in the Gem Industry...tell us about your current postion at AGTA?

I am involved in serious gem testing, which means preparing lab reports. Natural vs. treated vs. synthetic and origins.

We all have one aspect of our job that we like most...what is your favorite part of the gem grading process?

Using the microscope. Every day is like Sunday when looking at gems in the microscope, and I’m fortunate that I specialize in corundums, which are among the most interesting in the microscope.

I noticed recently that the major gem labs are now doing gem reports that determine the regional origin of the stone? How does that work?

Origin determination involves a bit of science and a whole lot of experience in looking at gems from around the world.

What is a gemologist and what are some of the employment opportunities for someone with certification in this field?

A gemologist is simply one who practices gemology, which is a knowledge of gems. The opportunities in this field are wide open, from the mines to markets to the jewelry store.

Who or what inspires you?

That would be a long list. In this field, I’ve had a number of heroes. G.F. Kunz and Edward Gübelin for their literate writings on precious stones, John Koivula for his photomicrographs, Alan Hodgekinson for his shoestring gemology, Bill Larson and Vincent Pardieu for their passion for the subject, John Sinkankas for his love of the subject’s literature. Bernd Munsteiner for bringing art back to gem cutting. John Emmett for his amazing knowledge of all things scientific. Outside the field, Steve McCurry for his amazing photographs of people, Thom Hartmann for his willingness to listen to others, even those he disagrees with. And of course, my family.

I noticed while reading your bio that you worked at Pala...that region is on my list of fieldtrips this Fall. Can you give me any pointers?

At Pala the mines are privately owned, and so unless you know the miners it’s difficult to actually visit a working mine. However, the town of Fallbrook has a nice mineral museum, The Collector at Pala International in Fallbrook has a wonderful store with exhibits of gems and minerals, and the GIA is in Carlsbad. San Diego also has a good natural history museum, Mike Scott’s collection is now on display at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, and the LA County Museum of Natural History is good as well. So there’s plenty to do here in SoCal.

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Rough ruby reputed to be from Tajikistan. It was this material which set the authors off on their quest for the source. Photo © Wimon Manorotkul/Pala International.
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Top Ten Reference List:

1. George Kunz: Book of the Pearl

2. Edward Gübelin: Internal World of Gemstones (and his collaborations with John Koivula)

3. John Sinkankas: Gemology, An Annotated Bibliography

4. Gems & Gemology magazine: Alice Keller has probably done more than anyone over the past 30 years to improve gemology. Magazine is available from GIA at http://www.gia.edu/gemsandgemology/70/main_page.cfm

5. Steve McCurry: South Southeast – I found the following information http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0101/south_intro.htm

6. DVD: 1 Giant Leap - information available at: http://www.1giantleap.tv/php/summary.php?id=1&ID=

7.DVD: Apocalypse Now, The Godfather Films, anything from Coppola

8.Music: I listen to a wide range, everything from Miles Davis to Madonna, Zawinul to ZZ Top. Much of the inspiration for my writing comes from music, which I listen to constantly.

9. Apple Computers and Steve Jobs.

10.Like the music of Miles Davis, the epitome of less is more. Less is more, so that’s all I have ;-))

Michael David Sturlin - Crochet Gold

2007-07-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

Michael David Sturlin

Michael David Sturlin is a studio jewelry artist, educator, and an award winning goldsmith.

In addition to his studio practice Michael is a respected teacher, offering jewelry classes, goldsmithing workshops and professional development seminars. Michael is a member of the faculty of the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, the Society of North American Goldsmiths, and the Jewelry Design Professionals Network.

From Michael:

‘Working in the studio is a passion for me as much as it is a vocation.

It is a meditative process that is both compelling and sustaining.

My minimalist jewelry isn’t influenced by trend or fashion, quality and design make it enduring and collectible.

I create jewelry that is engaging, sophisticated, inviting, well crafted, and beautiful.”

http://www.goldcrochet.com/

http://www.michaeldavidsturlin.com/

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1. Tell us a little about you and what attracted you to the jewelry field.

I was born in Jackson Hole Wyoming in 1955. I grew up on my grandparent's Appaloosa horse ranch, a mile and a half south of Wilson Wyoming, at the foot of Teton Pass. In the 1960 census the little town of Wilson had a population of 36 people. There was a post office, general store, filling station, the Stage Coach Bar, and a rodeo arena.

From a very early age I was involved with the accoutrements of horse training and ranch work, both of which entailed many handicrafts and a lot of dexterity. I became adept at things like leather work and making rope from horse hair for weaving and braiding saddle cinches, halters, and bridles. My grandmother taught me knitting and crochet, beadwork and macramé, gardening and baking.

Ranch life in general involves constructing and repairing all manner of things. Working with my hands seemed very natural and comfortable. I especially liked helping my grandfather shoe the horses. I was attracted to the activity of adjusting the size and shape of the horseshoes with the hammer and anvil, and filing the edges of the hooves even with the shoes once they were nailed in place.

One very significant occurrence in my inclination towards jewelry was the good fortune to have Mr. Phillip Morton, a founder of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, as a neighbor for a few summers when I was a lad. Seeing his studio and his jewelry made a lasting impression on me. I think that is probably where my trajectory into goldsmithing began.

2. What type of training have you had? From the ground up - how did you get your start? Give the progressive steps that got you where you are today.

I had my first class in fabricating silver jewelry in high school. Regrettably, the teacher was basically uninspired and disinterested. There wasn't very much instruction or equipment available for the students to work with. Frustrated by the lack of direction and meager facilities, I bought a few tools and some silver and I started off on my own.

I was primarily self taught for the first decade and a half of my career as a goldsmith. I began in the early 1970s by constructing simple jewelry from silver sheet and wire. I next added lapidary skills to my repertoire, cutting cabochons and doing intricate inlay work. I made jewelry of many types and styles from western belt buckles and bolo ties to very contemporary inlaid rings and bracelets.

I became very proficient at working with silver. Making large and complicated jewelry items is a very good way to learn to anneal and form metal and it provides the means to develop fluency with the materials. The more ambitious the jewelry became the more I learned about the working properties of precious metal.

As I started to incorporate larger amounts of gold into my work I endeavored to learn more about the metal itself. I bought a rolling mill and some draw plates and I began to alloy my gold and to cast ingots with torch and crucible. That is when I started to produce all of my own mill products and sheet and wire in the studio.

At this point I realized that the most fascinating and compelling thing about the art of goldsmithing was the ability to control the entirety of the process. I embraced the traditional European approach of making everything from scratch, which brought a new aesthetic value into the act of creating jewelry. This was a transcendent moment for me.

I learned primarily by doing. I became versatile at fabricating many kinds of traditional jewelry items and I produced specialty work for many other designers and artists in addition to my own evolving body of work. At one point I had a commission for an item which would require creating multiples of a single design. It was a project best approached by executing the original model in wax, so I learned to work in wax using an additive sculptural process. I followed that with mold making and casting, also self taught. Afterwards I did specialty casting for the trade in addition to designing and creating my own work.

In 1986 I learned about the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco. Finally, a place to take some formal training in goldsmithing! I went to California and met Alan Revere and was inspired by his school and his faculty, as well as by his fabulous jewelry. My first two workshops were week long classes in advanced goldsmithing taught by Evert De Grave in 1986 and Jeffrey Fillmore Thompson in 1987.

At each of those first formal classes I learned more in 5 days than I had in the previous 5 years. My experiences at Revere allowed me to see that I was on the right track; I had just taken the long and circuitous route by being a self taught goldsmith. Realizing the advantages of formal training, I budgeted and saved in order to take additional classes and workshops whenever I could. (I took my most recent class at Revere this past March, 2007.)

In the late 1980s I began to focus more and more on my own designs and I chose the technique of hand crochet as the main emphasis of my work with gold. The nature of my work is very labor intensive, in addition to being quite substantial in precious material content. It took me several years to design and assemble a representative body of work sufficient to make an entry into the marketplace.

I was fortunate also in 1987 to marry a wonderful person from the Kingdom of Thailand. Praparat, my wife, is a formally trained award winning culinary professional. She attended a renowned culinary arts college in Bangkok, founded by the 5th Thai Queen in the 1800s. Praparat established a private cooking school here in Arizona in 1989 and she also travels and teaches extensively. In the soon to be 20 years we have been married, I have spent several years cumulatively in Thailand where I have studied and observed the Thai and Chinese goldsmiths at work. I learned a great deal from the way they work with very high karat gold which I have since incorporated into my studio practice.

In 2004 at the suggestion of Dana Singer, executive director of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, I was invited to give a presentation for MJSA Expo New York at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan. Following that, Alan Revere asked me to join his faculty and to teach the Marketing classes at the Revere Academy in San Francisco.

In the recent several years I have often been asked to make presentations at national events like JCK Las Vegas and AGTA Tucson. This fall I will be a presenter at CLASP in Denver. I now devote the majority of my time to teaching. I present classes and workshops at a variety of national events and venues, in addition to offering private instruction and small intimate classes in my studio.

The fulfillment that comes from teaching is very rewarding, and I enjoy working with students of all ages and all levels. It really is a very different activity than the creative energy I expend at the bench in the studio, and it is also my way of paying it forward for all of the help and direction I have received along the way in my career.

3. If you had the chance what would you do differently...more formal training? less? wider range?

Given the opportunity to do things differently I would undertake formal training much sooner, I would definitely say the sooner the better! I would also strive to learn about the business and professional development aspects of art as a profession, as soon as I began my career.

These are the two most crucial areas for success in this type of career, and unfortunately, they are also the two most neglected by those who pursue it.

I might also be more proactive about entering competitions and contests. I have not actually entered very many, because it can be rather expensive to participate, but is very worthwhile if you win something. I have been the fortunate recipient of a couple of major awards, one from the World Gold Council, for a specific item of jewelry, and another from the American Jewelry Design Council, for a larger body of work.

4. We all have one aspect of our job that we like most...what is your favorite part of the jewelry making process?

My absolute favorite part is watching an item of jewelry placed on the body and seeing how it lays and moves with the wearer. Since the whole point and purpose of what I create is for it to be displayed on the human form, experiencing this moment is the culmination of the process for me. This is the final completion of the work itself.

5. You have a very recognizable style...what tips can you give someone who is trying to develop their "style"?

My belief and my experience is that style and creativity come forth through fluency with the material, combined with the skillful application of tools and technique.

A definitive style evolves with time and intent and dedication. It isn't often something that expresses itself from the start, it is usually something which develops and matures over a period of concentrated activity.

Finding what a person has resonance with and focusing in on it. Refining and paring it down to the core essence of what it is, then building and expanding that into a cohesive body of work.

6. What or who inspires you?

I am a minimalist; I am attracted to minimalism in the essence of design, as well as in the application and execution of the work, in the process itself. This is how I approach my own work and also what inspires me in the work of others.

The qualities and attributes I recognize are directness, simplicity, efficiency, practicality, and effectiveness. Individuals who do things, and illustrate through action, those are the people who inspire me.

In the field of jewelry and goldsmithing I admire Friedrich Becker, Donald Friedlich, Alan Revere, Michael Good, George Sawyer, Michael Zobel and Peter Schmid, Angela Hubel, Georg Spreng, Georg Bunz. That is just a very short list. Most of them are European, or were trained in Europe.

7. Who are your mentors and what trait do they exhibit that you find inspiring?

My mentor is Alan Revere. His endless creativity and originality inspires me a great deal. His ability as a teacher, his unending desire to learn and grow and stretch, how much he wants to impart to and nourish in others, all of this inspires me. The fact that he is my friend is really an extra added bonus.

The same is true of Charles Lewton-Brain, another friend and a person whom I very much admire for his boundless energy and his inquisitive mind. I think Charles is one of the most inspired and inspiring people I have met.

Both of these fellows have such excitement and enthusiasm for our field, which is quite contagious and beneficial to be exposed to. I highly recommend taking any opportunity to attend a workshop with either of them!

8. What is the one piece of advice you wish you had received at the beginning of your career as a jewelry artist.

People who succeed are successful because they understand what it takes to succeed. Success is an aesthetic accomplishment of living and working harmoniously, as well as engaging in profitable activities.

9. While we are on the topic of sharing information...you are known as a "marketing wizard" and you teach the topic at the Revere Academy in California. In your opinion, what are the first steps toward starting a new jewelry business?

Determining that this is what a person really loves to do is the first essential component. Realizing that the fulfillment and reward of making jewelry are not tied solely to being a financial success is the second. It is an important consideration to ensure that the work itself is enjoyable. When you enjoy what you do and others enjoy the result, the process can be satisfying and rewarding, and creative and sustaining.

It is necessary to enjoy the process and to be willing to work diligently and dedicatedly, because that is what it will require to own and manage a business. A person will need to learn how to be a good business person and also how to be a professional in their chosen field. This is what successful artists do. Those who don't are seldom successful.

Art is a business, just like any other business, except that it usually involves creating and marketing what is primarily a luxury product. The reality is that almost no one is going to perish if they don't buy a piece of jewelry. Some people might think they will, and these people make very good clients and collectors, but no-one has to have jewelry in order to survive. This makes it by nature a category which requires very good business acumen and committed professionalism.

If a person is only interested in the financial benefits and compensation which a career in jewelry can provide, my suggestion is to become highly skilled and well employed.

10. There are a lot of people crocheting wire, why do you think that your business has been so successful?

I made a very conscious decision to focus on a specific technique as the primary foundation of my work. It was tied into the aspects of design which I personally had resonance with, and it incorporated the aesthetic qualities of the processes which I appreciate and enjoy in goldsmithing.

It was a gamble in many respects because my application of crochet is very labor intensive to produce, and the materials I use in my jewelry are very expensive. Apparently many people also find my design sensitivities very appealing, perhaps that has helped it to be successful.

Although there might be others who occasionally used this technique, I know of no one else who has invested the same degree of time, energy, and resources to create an equivalent body of work, or to promote it as effectively as I have.

The self imposed hardships which I designed into my product have made it much more challenging to place and to sell than many other jewelry products. The benefit of my promotional activities and how that has helped achieve recognition for what I do and effectively market my product, is something I share with my marketing students in the professional development classes I teach.
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Michael's top ten references:

Books: technical information

Professional Goldsmithing - Alan Revere
ISBN 0-442-23898-3

Theory and Practice of Goldsmithing - Erhard Brepohl
ISBN 0-9615984-9-2

Books: aesthetic enjoyment

Schmuck.Kinetik.Objekte - Friedrich Becker
ISBN 3-925369-76-7

Wabi Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers - Leonard Koren
ISBN 1-880656-12-4

School:

The Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, San Francisco, CA
http://www.revereacademy.com/

Informational Repository:

The Ganoksin Project
http://www.ganoksin.com/

Organization:

The Society of North American Goldsmiths
http://www.snagmetalsmith.org/

Magazine:

GZ Journal
http://www.gz-journal.de/welcome.cfm

Galleries:

De Novo - Palo Alto, CA
http://www.denovo.com/

Stuart Moore - Soho - San Francisco - Huntington Beach
http://www.stuartmoore.com/

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2007 Workshops with Michael David Sturlin

July 20 - 21, 2007
Hand Crochet Workshop
Wire Jewelry Fest
Wilmington, DE

July 22, 2007
Metalsmithing - Hand Forging Workshop
Wire Jewelry Fest
Wilmington, DE

August 25, 2007
Metalsmithing - Hand Forging Workshop
Bead Fest Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA

August 26, 2007
Metalsmithing - Saw Piercing Workshop
Bead Fest Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA

September 15, 2007
75 Actionable Business Ideas in 75 Minutes
Clasp Convergence
Denver, Colorado

September 16, 2007
Breakfast with the Experts - Promotion & Publicity for the Studio Artist
Clasp Convergence
Denver, Colorado

September 20, 2007
Forged Rings
Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
San Francisco, CA

September 21, 2007
Marketing Designer Jewelry
Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
San Francisco, CA