Swirl ring in 18k gold and sterling silver

Layers and textures and contrast in 18k gold and sterling silver. I spent a good part of the weekend working on this design and I'm really happy with how well it turned out!  I love the way the patina of the silver ring band makes the gold stand out so sharply.  This ring definitely has that hand-wrought, artisan feel to it.

Now at Topaz Gallery and Mitzi's Shoebox

In addition to my Etsy shop, many of my jewelry pieces are now at at Mitzi's Shoebox in Atlanta. This trendy boutique is the sister store to Mitzi & Romano. Both are located within steps of each other in the Virginia Highland shopping district.


You can also find me at the upscale Topaz Gallery in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood.

Meet Bert, my newest love

I have finally found him. After a seemingly endless search, I now have my very own…giant tree stump. This is something that probably only you metalsmiths out there will appreciate. When I saw the tree cutters parked outside my neighbor’s house this afternoon, I thought I was seeing a mirage. Like every house in my neighborhood, this one had monster-sized trees. My heart leapt for joy when they told me they were cutting down oaks and poplars and that I could have my pick. And they were happy to cut it to my requested size. It was like a dream come true.

They sawed at the base of the trunk of each tree and pulled them down one at a time. It is an amazing thing to see a mighty 6-story tree hit the ground. I mean the ground literally shakes. I was getting worried through because tree after tree had a rotten, diseased trunk (I think the reason why they were being cut down in the first place). Diseased trunk = unusable in any way.

But it was my lucky day because the very last tree to come down was a very nice looking one. I was told it was a white oak – super bonus! Those awesome guys fork lifted that monstrosity onto the bed of my truck, and I drove the 4 second distance to my house. I quickly de-barked it while it was still juicy. He’s now standing in my garage waiting to be dry enough to bring into the studio. I have no idea how long it will take for it to be fully seasoned. Anyone have any ideas?