FAQs
Jewelry FAQs
⊹ Do you make all the jewelry yourself?
Yes! I fabricate every piece of jewelry on this website by hand in my Williamsburg studio. Many pieces also incorporate stones I cut and polished myself. Occasionally I use components from Rio - like delicate chain - but generally speaking I construct all elements from plain old wire and sheet.
⊹ Are you self-taught?
Yes and no! I've taken a lot of metalsmithing classes over the years at Pratt in Seattle and at VisArts in Richmond, but I've also figured out how to do some things on my own, either by trial and error or with a little help from some amazing YouTube jewelers and a few good ol' fashioned books on the subject.
⊹ Can I make a custom order?
At this time, I'm pausing custom requests indefinitely so I can focus on developing original designs, but at the very least I plan to offer made-to-order pieces with customizable sizing (when applicable) in the shop.
⊹ Is the metal in your jewelry plated?
No, I use solid or gold-filled metals (gold fill is coated with a significantly thicker layer of gold than plated metals are). And, no matter the type, I disclose what metals I used in all of my listings.
⊹ Do you use dyed gemstones in your jewelry?
No, I do not use dyed gemstones. I do have a small selection of heat-treated stones in my inventory, but, unlike dyed gemstones, they are considered permanently color-stable.
⊹ Are the stones in your jewelry stabilized?
The vast majority of gemstones are not, but soft and porous stones like turquoise usually are! While some turquoise is sufficiently hard enough not to need stabilization, most of it is simply too brittle and soft to be naturally durable enough for cutting and jewelry use without stabilization. Stabilization can also help to preserve the natural color of the material. Soft and porous stones that are exposed to dirt and skin oils over time can darken and yellow as they absorb these substances. They can also be vulnerable to damage from water penetration and sun exposure. Many of the resins used to stabilize gemstones today have anti-yellowing and UV-protective properties.
⊹ Is it ok to wear my jewelry in the water or during exercise?
I do not recommend it! Even if it holds up to these stresses, why risk damaging your precious investment? Though artisanal jewelry is made of high-quality material, it's still vulnerable to damage from abrasive elements, excessive sun exposure, and to breakage from vigorous activity. So always treat it with gentle care. Store it in a cool, dry, protected place, away from the sun, and away from chemicals and other corrosive substances.
⊹ My jewelry has tarnished. What’s the best way to clean it?
Polish pads or polishing cloths designed for jewelry are ideal. If your pieces have stamped or otherwise indented areas filled with patina, be careful not to push the polishing cloth into those areas, unless you want to wipe away the patina.
Lapidary FAQs
⊹ Are the slabs on this site polished?
Generally speaking, no. Though polished specimens may occasionally be listed, the vast majority of slabs on this site are rough and therefore unpolished. Rough slabs may have saw marks, small edge nicks and/or protrusions where the slab severed from the blade, as well as a relatively less refined surface overall. Slabs on this site are always photographed both wet and dry to best reveal saw marks, hairline fractures, and other imperfections (which are easiest to see on dry slabs), and to show the closest approximation of how a material will look when polished (which is easiest to see on wet slabs).
⊹ Why are the slabs pictured wet and dry?
Wetting a rough slab allows you to see a much closer approximation of how the material will look when polished. Since slabs are generally bought with the intention of cutting and polishing them, seeing them wetted gives a clearer picture of the material’s aesthetic potential. In terms of showing the material dry, this is usually the easiest way to see hairline fractures and other imperfections on the surface; furthermore, dry photos provide the clearest picture of how slabs will look when you receive them in the mail. Also note that slabs can look dramatically different in terms of color intensity depending on whether they are photographed indoors or outdoors and whether they are wet or dry in either circumstance, so always take that into consideration as well.
⊹ What is an “end cut” slab?
End cut slabs have one side that is the original rough rind of the rock it was cut from - this is generally the first slab cut from the rock. End cuts are usually thick pieces, so they can typically be useful to make cabochon pairs (since you can slice thicker slabs in half on a trim saw to get a closely matched, “butterfly” set, which work especially well for earrings).
⊹ How thick are the slabs you cut?
In nearly every case, slabs are cut to at least a 1/4” thickness or more; occasionally, however, thinner cuts may be listed. In some cases finer details like dendrites are better revealed in a thinner cut. At any rate, all slab listings include thickness measurements.
⊹ Is the slab/cabochon/specimen shown in the listing the same one I will receive?
Yes! What you see pictured is the exact item you will receive!
⊹ Do you cut the slabs and cabochons yourself?
Yes! Very occasionally I may list slabs and cabochons I’ve sourced elsewhere, but, generally speaking, this site is dedicated to the production output of my lapidary and metalsmithing studios, where I cut slabs and cabochons and hand-forge jewelry.
⊹ Do you have more than one slab/cabochon of each material?
Chances are, yes. If there’s only one slab or cabochon of a certain material listed, most likely there’s more where that came from. Contact me if you are interested in purchasing multiple slabs and/or cabochons of the same material and I can let you know if I have more.
