Custom 18k Gold Cross With Persian Turquoise

Mark was commissioned by a Gallery in Santa Fe to make this piece in the mid-90's. The Customer's Mother passed away and he had Mark melt down all but a few components from her 18k gold & Persian Turquoise necklace. Mark made them into a cross - kept some of the elements and created a dove.

 

The Customer had a custom bible made and the cross sits in the front pages.

 

 

This shows the color better. He engraved a Florentine pattern on the top of the cross. Approximately 3 x 6" & 1/4" thick.

 

Taking a trip down memory lane through old portfolios - before the age of digital photography or knowing how to take pictures of jewelry. More to come!

Fine Jewelry Repair

Mark did two major repair jobs this week for a customer we met in Sedona. He doesn't just do jewelry repair - he does jewelry restoration. 14k ring with Turquoise and cracked opal inlay.
Ring re-inlaid with Bisbee Turquoise and Australian Opal.

Shank of ring worn through and cracked.

Mark milled 14k gold and 1/2 shanked the ring. Really solid now and will wear for a longgggg time. He also rebuilt all links in a heavy 18k men's bracelet for this customer - not as dramatic of a difference in a picture but better than new after he worked on it.

If you want to restore or re-dsign jewelry you own please let us know. Don't scrap it! You never get the full value of the gold that way. If it's sentimental, let us make it into a wearable piece of jewelry for you again.

Why We Love Doing Jewerly Repairs

I was reminded yesterday of why we love doing jewelry repairs. I delivered two turquoise rings that Mark restored to a customer in Pinetop, AZ. I didn't know the story on the one ring until Dorothy shared it. The one multi-stone ring was her wedding band. Her husband died years ago after a long illness at home (Pinetop didn't have Hospice at that time.) The day after he passed she noticed one of the stones fell out of the ring overnight when he left. She never found it and stopped wearing the ring. When she slipped it on her finger tears welled up in her eyes as she told me the story, then I started crying, then she was crying. It was a really sad and happy moment that meant the world to her and me.

I should have taken before and after pictures which I will do in the future. Mark's restoration work is amazing! When we open our Alpine storefront we can take in this kind of work and provide a local service...and hopefully create many many happy customers like Dorothy.