All of my jewelry is in either 14k or 18k yellow gold, unless otherwise noted, and all of my stones are natural, not synthetic or man made. I do all of the design work, casting, finishing, stone setting and lapidary work {excluding faceted stones} myself. I specialize in innovative, contemporary designs utilizing unusual combinations of stones and stone shapes. The following outlines the processes I use and answers some common questions.

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   Most of my pieces are done using lost wax casting, though some combine elements of fabrication. In lost wax casting the original design is carved out of wax, a mold is made of the wax using a special type of high-temperature plaster, and the wax is burned out of the plaster mold in a kiln. The gold is then cast into the plaster mold using centrifugal force in a centrifugal casting machine. After the casting is broken out of the mold, the metal is filed, sanded, buffed and polished. One of the last steps is setting any stones or doing any inlay work. While the casting mold is destroyed, I do make silicon molds of some of my designs so I can reproduce them. Some designs are consistently the same each time they are duplicated, such as the bands and inlaid pieces, while most of the designs with faceted stones vary to a greater or lesser extent depending on the size and shapes of the stones used each time they are reproduced.

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   All of my work is guaranteed for the life of the piece against any defects in materials and workmanship, excluding normal wear and tear. If a piece should break it will be repaired or replaced free of charge. While this guarantee does not cover unusual circumstances, i.e. dropping a ring down the garbage disposal, I try to keep any repair costs to a minimum when I do charge. Additionally, I highly recommend periodic tune-ups, as covered in the care section.

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   Sizing rings does not affect the cost unless it is several sizes different necessitating building a new ring. Turn around time on normal sizing is one week. Inlaid rings cannot be sized, as the inlay usually breaks, so a new ring will be made at the original price. Also, some of the designs with faceted stones cannot be sized much or at all due to the setting being integral to the design, and so a new ring with a new stone will be made. Since gemstones vary by weight and price, two similarly sized stones may be differently priced and this can affect the cost, and generally falls into the custom order category. Rings which need to be made to order usually take 3 to 4 weeks to produce, depending on stone availability.

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   I take custom orders on any of my designs to meet your individual needs, including doing a piece in a different metal or metals, except silver and other non-precious metals. This can be as simple as making a design with a different stone or changing the proportions of the design to meet a specific need. Also, I do custom designs from scratch or work with you on a design you already have in mind. Please contact me with any questions regarding custom work and how to proceed. Turn around time on custom work is usually 4 to 5 weeks, but this can vary, and I require a 50% deposit on all orders.

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   In jewelry inlay, a piece of stone is cut to fit into an opening in the metal. The stone is glued in place using a special type of epoxy and then ground and polished flush with the surface of the metal. The results should be a seamless, polished surface of metal and stone. Inlaid rings should be worn with more care than plain gold bands, as the stone can be scratched or break. Also, the various inlay materials have different degrees of durability. Opal is probably the most fragile stone used in inlay, stones such as lapis, sugalite, and turquoise are a little more durable, dinosaur bone more durable yet, and jade the most durable.

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   Fine jewelry should be treated with care and respect, reflecting it's value, especially when gemstones are involved. A gold ring with no stones can take a lot of abuse, but when it becomes severely scratched much of it's beauty and appeal is lost. A ring with gemstones should be treated with more care since the stones, even diamonds, can be scratched or broken. I recommend cleaning jewelry regularly with dishwashing soap and ammonia using a toothbrush. With chemical sensitive materials such as pearl or emerald, eliminate the ammonia. For care and cleaning over an extended period, I recommend regular "tune-ups", which are free with any piece of jewelry purchased. This service includes checking/tightening any stones, removing scratches from the metal and inlay, re-polishing the piece, and giving it a thorough cleaning. Depending on individual wear and tear, this should be done once a year and goes along way in protecting gemstones from loss and keeping the piece beautiful.

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   I have been designing and making jewelry since 1977. I am a self-taught jeweler and lapidary, with a background in sculpture, painting and other 2 dimensional arts. In 1984 I started doing business as Metamorphosis, first selling my work through artist co-op type galleries, and then, in 1985 doing a variety of art and craft shows throughout the year. I currently do about 15 shows a year and sell through some select galleries in my area.

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   I accept checks, money orders and credit cards. Orders via check require a 5 day holding period to ensure funds are available. Credit card orders can only be shipped to the billing address of the cardholder, unless other arrangements are made. Credit card payment can be made via phone. All items that are in stock and the correct size will be shipped within 1 day of payment. Items under $500 will be shipped via insured mail, and items over $500 will be shipped via registered, insured mail, both of which must be signed for. Normal shipping is free of charge, but special arrangements, i.e.. Fed Ex, may be an additional charge. Items that need sizing or are being customized will take a week or longer to ship, which will be determined at the time of the order.

   Since your enjoyment and satisfaction with your purchase is my goal, I have the following return policy. Items which are ordered directly from existing inventory can be returned up to 7 days for a full refund, less shipping. Refunds or credit card credits will be made after receipt of the piece in original condition. Items returned after 7 days, but before 30 days, will receive a credit towards another purchase. After 30 days no returns will be accepted. In order to avoid returns on custom pieces or sized pieces, I offer the following service. If you are unsure that you like the piece you want to purchase in a customized form or different size, and would like to see the existing piece in my inventory, I can send you the piece for your approval. I will need to put the cost of the piece on a credit card, just like a purchase, and if you like it, you return the item to me and I make and send you the customized or sized piece. If you decide against the purchase, just return the item to me for a full credit, less shipping. We can also arrange to meet at one of the stores I sell through to see the item in question, thus avoiding credit card charges and shipping.

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   The pieces and gemstones pictured can change each time a piece is sold and remade. If the change is significant, I will change the photo, but in some cases the same photo can represent a design through several remakes, with a slight variation. Contact me to find out the current status of any design you may be interested in.

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