Today's Jewelers Practice Ancient Craft
Most jewelers still use tools and techniques that are hundreds — even thousands! — of years old. Massive jewelry factories around the world use machines to melt and pour metal, but many independent jewelers still heat metal over a flame and pour it into a mold, just as the earliest jewelers did. Jewelers cut metal with hand saws, chisel metal with hammers and engraving tools, hand-carve waxes, bond metal using a hand torch, and file and polish by hand to achieve bright, shiny finishes.
To these ancient techniques they have thoughtfully incorporated modern technologies, such as CAD/CAM, to create and prototype designs using computers. They use laser welders to achieve extremely small joins and repairs, microscopes to ensure the tiniest details, and small casting machines to control the safety and quality of melting metal.
Walk into any jeweler's workshop and you will see ancient and modern tools used together, side by side.
Jewelry is More Than Fashion
Yes, jewelry has long been made and worn as a symbol of wealth and power. But for just as long it has been worn to commemorate special places, remember loved ones, express religious or spiritual beliefs, and celebrate rites of passage. In these modern times of mass production, it's easy to forget that jewelry can represent so much more than a wardrobe choice.
Artistic Vision
These designs, from Green Lake Jewelry Works, demonstrate the jeweler's dedication to creating beautiful things from conception through completion.
Craftsmanship
Exquisite Quality
And Then There Are the Stories
Beautiful objects are almost always attached to stories.
Who made it. Why they made it. Where it was found. What was happening when it was found. Why it was purchased. Who purchased it. The importance of a gift, a moment, a memory.
Unlike jeans or a pair of shoes, thoughtfully made and bought jewelry always has a story. And hopefully, it helps you tell your own stories. And that is why we love jewelry.
