October

Design News

Please make sure to check out the earrings section on the site. I have created three new styles of earrings. These are the first new earrings that I have created in 6 or 7 years and I am really excited with them!

August

Green News

I hate to get political on my web site but here goes.

Red states or blue states, that is not the main issue.  Whichever you support, we all need to support and live in a green state and do whatever we individually and collectively can do to support a better environment.  I have always practiced the idea of” leaving as little a footprint as possible” even before it was “cool” to do so.

In an effort to create a better environment, in June of this year, I have installed solar voltaic panels on the roof of my home and my studio and am now producing all, or most, the energy that I consume without producing any carbon dioxide or any other environment pollutants. 

In February, we bought our second Prius, so I join my wife in more than halving my gasoline consumption.

This year I also put raised beds in my back yard and established an organic garden and am producing much of my own vegetables thus eliminating the need to use gasoline to bring this food to market place.

There are many little, and large, things that we all can do to help create a better environment and to live more “green”.  I think that every little bit helps and whatever you can do individually or collectively would be a great help.  It is important to make that first step no matter how small!

May

Custom Design News

Custom order note.  I have begun to do custom work in Platinum.  Please note that platinum scratches very easily and there will be a minimum charge for refinishing, unlike gold, which I offer lifetime refinishing at no charge.  Custom platinum work costs on the average about three plus times the price of 14K gold custom orders.  Also note that a platinum ring will run about 1.7 times the weight of 14K gold so rings and pendants will be heavy.  Processing a platinum custom piece will also take an additional 2 to 4 weeks depending on my schedule.

September

General News

First, I do apologize that it has taken so long to update the site. It has been difficult to coordinate everyone’s time and schedules involved in the creation and maintenance of the site. I have created many new pieces in the past few months, but, with everyone’s schedules it has taken this long to photograph some new works and load them into the site. This is always the challenge with one of a kind work and web sites. Thank you all for your patience. I hope that most of you have been able to make to my shows to see a majority of the new works.

Gemstone News

Opals

Even with the lack of production of opals from Lightning Ridge, I have purchased some very fine black opals and am currently working on a few of them for some new rings and anticipate having at least some finished within the next month. If you are looking for that special stone just let me know.

Star Gems/Phenomenon Gems

I have recently hooked up with a new dealer for this material. Actually I met him 17 years ago and it has taken this long to actually look at what he has and wondered to myself, why did it take us so long to hook up. I guess the timing was just not right. I have new blue star sapphire, very hard to get. New star ruby from India, I never buy this material for I have never seen Indian star ruby that I have actually loved up until now. I also purchased one Burmese star ruby, very translucent and magnificent color. I also purchased some new color change sapphire.

Custom Design News

Custom Work

This year I have taken in more custom work than I have in many years. If you want anything special made for the holidays you need to start thinking about it and ordering it now. Please allow at least 8 to 10 weeks for any custom work

April

Publication news

I am very proud to announce that Ring R-15 and Pendant P-18 were featured in an article in February Lapidary Journal.  If you purchased these pieces I would be happy to scan you a copy.

Gold news

Gold continues on the rise. It has almost doubled in price from its low last year. As always I am committed to try to hold my prices down as long as I can. The total cost of the gold in any of my creations is only a fraction of the total price of the piece, so doubling the gold price will not double the price of any of my pieces. Still it adds up. And I will hold my prices as long as I can. I have also received a price increase on various sizes of diamonds. Once again I have no immediate plans to raise prices. These increased have a greater impact on my earring and pendant set along with my wedding bands. These pieces are non-one-of-a-kinds and at some point soon I will have to decide to either raise prices or discontinue these pieces. Please let me know if you have any input.

Gemstone news

Opal

Again mining production is down and prices are up for most opal especially Black Opal. Black Opal comes exclusively from Lightning ridge these days and to my understanding, there are less then 20 miners still mining. I was able to buy only a few pieces, which I thought would be in most people’s price range. Collector quality stones are available to me but they are not cheap. I do have a few collector quality stones in stock. Please ask if you are interested.

Please be aware of synthetic opal. There is an abundance of it in the market place. By law you must disclose these stones upon sale. Unfortunately I was just at a show and there was one “vendor” selling this material and not disclosing. A lot, but not all, of the inlay pieces that you see are synthetic.

Also be aware that most, and probably all, inlay opal that looks like black opal is not black opal at all. It is “crystal” opal, opal that is very transparent, inlayed with black epoxy. Since this material is very transparent, it takes on the apparent body tone of what it sits on. Thus if it sits on black epoxy, it looks like black opal. Inlay opal is not a good idea in the first place. The only appropriate setting for an opal, in a ring, is the “protected mounting” which I have been making for thirty plus years. If you do not know what I am talking about, ask me.

As always I am committed to selling only very fine natural gems. I do not sell lab grown or synthetic gems. The only form of treatment that I will accept is heating of gems in some cases. Some stones, as sapphire and ruby, are almost always heated.

Topaz

I have also recently purchased, I really should say hand picked from hundreds, some very fine imperial topaz.

Tourmaline

And finally I have finished my first mans black opal ring in years and also finished a pendant with one extremely fine and large and unheated true rubelite tourmaline. This is not pink, it is red.

October / November

General News

I have had five weeks off between shows and I have just  finished eighteen new pieces.  Some  of these pieces were started at the beginning of summer and some as late as the end of summer.  There is a large “lag time” between when the piece is started and when it is finished.  If you want to know why this is so, please see the process statement and you will get a good idea why things take so long from start to finish.  Some of these new piece will soon be posted on the site, but not everything.

Gemstone News

Aquamarine

Some of my favorite new pieces include a large, over four carat, aquamarine pendant.  The  aquamarine is one of the finest that I have ever had.  It is a deep rich, bright, and very saturated stone from Brazil.  The Brazilian material is, in my opinion, the finest source for this gorgeous gemstone.  It is more of a “true blue” than aquamarine from other sources. 

Pearl

Other new favorites include a wild new pearl pendant.  The pearl looks like nature tried to make two pearls, but somehow the two parts never separated.  There is also a great new pearl ring, very simple and classy design. 

Imperial Topaz

Also, I just finished a new imperial topaz ring.  Don’t forget, this month’s birth stone is topaz.  Don’t let anyone tell you that this month’s stone is citrine.  Ha!  Some people just can’t get fine topaz, so they try to tell you that November is citrine month.  Ha ,ha. Again!!!!!! This stone is part of three very fine imperial topaz pieces that I bought this spring and some of the finest imperial topaz that I have had in quite some time.  I still have one piece from this parcel that I have not set yet.  I do not get topaz every year for I will only buy stones of a higher quality and I do not always see stones like this.  I never use yellow topaz, because it is very commercial grade.  And, as far as blue topaz, they are irradiated and I do not use irritated gems.  I admit it; I am a gemstone snob. 

Opal

To round things out, there are many new opal pendants.  I just finished a very fine and large, 8 carat plus, pendant.  The stone has a jet-black background with “pin fire” of every color of the rainbow.  And finally I just finished some new “Twisters”.  What’s a “Twister”?  Well, if you don’t already know, you will have to come to one of my shows and find out.

Custom Design News

Just in case any has any last minute holiday needs from me, I will be out on a mini-vacation for one week.  The studio will be closed Dec 8 until Dec 19.  It is my 52^nd birthday and  hiking, studying yoga eating tropical fruit and generally relaxing.  Thanks for all your support in 2005.  Let's all pray for peace in 2006.

September

Gemstone News

Diamonds

 As reported in August, I just received my second diamond price increase.  Now with my first order in September,  I have received my third price increase of 2005.  This time a 6% increase on  a few different sizes.  I am still committed to holding the line on my prices as long as possible,  and as of now, I will not be increasing price immediately.

Opals

 I recently purchased one of my favorite opals of all time.  It displays mostly blues and greens.  The fire colors are very bright and has a rare pattern knows as Chinese writing.  The stone actually looks like there is Chinese writing in the color pattern.  The opal is large, just short of 7 carats, and would be perfect for that powerful ring or pendant that you have always dreamed of having.

Custom Design News

I have been working hard and have just about caught-up on my custom orders.  Most custom pieces can now be completed within eight to twelve weeks.  Still, if you do want anything for the holidays or have date sensitive ideas for special occasions, it is better to start them sooner than later.

August

Art Show News

I have made the decision to fulfill my original commitment and exhibit at the San Francisco Harvest Fair this year.  The Harvest Festival is undergoing some changes, one of them being a name change.  The show will gradually shift to the name Originals, Art and Craft Show.  What’s in a name? Well, quite frankly, a lot.  We’ll see how this affects attendance and buying habits at this show.

2006 will definitely bring some changes to my show schedule.  This year I will be showing at 17 shows, which is one or two shows too many.  I will have to do some long and hard thinking and decide which show(s) to drop from my schedule.  If you, as my customers, have a favorite show that you positively want to see me in, let me know and I will take that under advisement.  As my support base, your opinion is very important to me.

Gemstone News

Diamonds

Well, diamond prices are on the rise again this year.  I have already had two price increases on the sizes and qualities of diamonds that I use in most of my creations.  Some diamonds have already increased as much as 10.3%.   The average price increase that I have received is only about 4%.  As with last year, I am committed to absorb this latest round of price increases as long as I possibly can.  I can only do this so long before I have to make an adjustment in my new work.  Let us hope that this is the last increase that I will see this year and I can hold my prices where they currently stand.

Tourmalines

I have recently purchased a number of tourmalines from Afghanistan.  This material is hard to find.  Afghanistan produces some of the most beautiful and reasonably priced tourmaline that I have seen.  I have some marvelous blues and a few wonderful new greens.  The material is just electric.

Custom Order News

People buy gemstones in the oddest of places.  Some people buy gems on their trips overseas. Some from gem shows and some ask their friends going overseas to pick them up something.  But each time it is for the same reason.  They think they will buy a beautiful gemstone at a bargain price, have a jeweler mount it into a beautiful piece of jewelry, and end up with a great bargain piece of jewelry.  I hate to be the one to break it to you but it just does not work that way.

First off, never buy a gemstone overseas unless you know what you are doing.  There are too many things that could go wrong.  I have spent 30 plus years studying, buying, and selling gems and developing relations with reputable gem dealers.  Because I have spent a good deal of my life dedicated to this passion for gems, I know how to buy a beautiful high quality gem worth every dollar that I pay for it.  Unless you can trust that you can do the same, I would advise against becoming an “over night expert”.

 Secondly, when people buy loose gems with the intent of eventually having them turned into a piece of jewelry, they forget one factor in the equation.  The gemstone and the gold are only part of the price of a finished piece of jewelry.  Commonly, people forget the hand labor it takes to create a custom piece of jewelry.  This can add eight hundred, nine hundred, a thousand dollars and more to the final piece of jewelry.  This can turn your “bargain gemstone” into a very expensive piece of jewelry quickly, and if you didn’t buy the gemstone worth the custom treatment, you have wasted a good deal of money.

So, save yourself the frustration and leave the gemstone buying to an expert. Buy that lovely finished piece of jewelry that you have always dreamed about with peace of mind.
 

Art Show News

I am debating whether or not to do the San Francisco Harvest Fair this year.  It is on my schedule, but due to the greater than normal amount of shows that I have taken on this year and the extremely busy year that I am having, I am considering dropping the show.  I need to make a decision within two weeks and would appreciate some feedback from you, my customers.   

Gemstone News

Black Opals  

It has been about one and a half years since I have had fine black opals and opals from Lightning Ridge the home of these beautiful creations of nature and my very favorite gem. Mining production is way down and has forced many dealers out of the market.  I have finally connected with one of the dealers lucky enough to still be able to get rough material out of this area of the country.  I am happy to say that I have some great stones and will probably be bringing loose stones to most of my shows for those of you interest in custom work. One of my favorites is a rare black opal "cats-eye".  Please call if you want to make sure that I bring a selection to any show. I have also designed and set a number of these beauties and now have more black opal pieces than I have had in years, including a magnificent, and under 2 carat, thus affordable, multi-color red on black ring set with diamonds.

Sapphires

I have also hooked-up with a new sapphire source and have some of the best and most unusual sapphire that I have had in years. I just finished an orange-red sapphire piece and a 3 carat plus unheated beautiful blue piece.  Most gems are heated to improve their looks.  This is the only form of gem treatment that I will accept.  To find an unheated blue of this color and quality is truly rare. It is a must see piece.

Jewelry Design News

Designs seem to be pouring out of me these days and I feel that I have been the most creative with my work in years. Because of the limits on my time and the high demand for my custom services these days, it is impossible to photograph and load all the new pieces to my site (I add as many as I have time for). 

The only way to see all the new pieces that I have been creating is at one of my shows, so please try to make the time to visit my new work at a show near you. If you have not seen my work in a while, it will be worth driving a few hours to see the full range of new pieces. (see show schedule)

I offer lay-a-way services at no extra charge just so that special piece will not get away from you!  As always, thanks for all your support.

Custom Design News

Due to the unusually high demand on my custom services, I must quote a starting date four months or more in advance.  If you have any custom order needs that are date sensitive; birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc., please plan accordingly.

For extremely time sensitive custom wedding ring creations, I can possibly bump you up in the list, but please don't delay call today and make arangements.