Andy Bugher began his career in jewelry while studying Fine Art at the University of Wisconsin, Stout campus. It was there that he made his first piece of jewelry, and he was immediately hooked. He loved the processes involved in working in metal: casting, forging,  creating a piece with hammers, torches, and his bare hands.

After Andy finished college, he moved to Colorado and began apprenticing with a jeweler. He noticed that his environment began to influence his style. His jewelry had a rougher feel, incorporating different textures, non-traditional materials, and found objects. After he relocated to Minneapolis, his work evolved into a more polished, urban style, while still carrying themes from his mountain life. Andy’s jewelry became more refined, while still maintaining interesting textures and a unique handcrafted look.

Andy spent the next five years in an apprenticeship, designing for a Minneapolis jewelry gallery based in the Dominican Republic that catered to a large international clientele. He was exposed to and influenced by some of the top Italian, German, and Swiss designers. 

All of his experiences and influences have inspired the evolution of his current modern style.

"I enjoy including my clients in the creative process. They will typically come to the table with some idea of what they are looking for. I listen to their ideas, and then I apply my knowledge, experience and design sense to develop a direction."

"Once I understand the client's needs, I use state-of-the-art CAD and Rapid Prototyping technology to draw and produce a model for the piece. Seeing the client's eyes light up, as they view the model and see their vision come to life for the first time, is always exciting. When I present the finished piece at the end of the journey, and the client expresses that the piece turned out better than they could have imagined, that moment is the biggest thrill for me. It's why I love doing what I do."

"I feel very lucky to be able to make a living doing what I do. I appreciate that my clients are taking the extra time and effort to have a piece custom-made for them, rather than just going out and purchasing something from a store. To be able to use my creativity to bring joy to people is the best feeling in the world."