More Green to go along with Spring...

With all of the flowers popping up and everything turning green, I just couldn't help using this Jade to make another set of rings.  It also helps that Jade is one of my wife's favorite stones.  I decided to pair it with one of my favorite woods, Bethlehem Olive Wood (BOW).

BOW is a wood that is harvested from Olive Trees growing in Bethlehem Israel.  No trees are harmed when harvesting this material.  All the wood that is harvested are from un-productive branches or prunings to make the main tree more productive.

All my items made from BOW will come with a Certificate of Authenticity.

 Details:

Bethlehem Olive Wood

Centered Crushed Jade Inlay

Standard Width (6mm)

Size US 8

Going Green...

Or at least for the Inlay on this ring. 

Recently I had a custom order for a Teak Wooden Ring with Crushed Jade.  I have always loved the look of Jade, but have never had any to use.   I found that Jade can be an expensive material to purchase in rough quanities.

While looking for some Jade to use for this ring, I ran across a store in Columbia Mo called The Bead Gallery.  They are located on Walnut Street in the District.  The Bead Gallery specializes in high quality beads and findings.  The quality and selection is amazing.  And when they say the bead is a certain precious stone, you are getting that stone and not a cheaper stone that has been dyed to look like something else. 

Jade is a very nice stone to work with.  It shapes and polishes nicely.  And the color range of greens makes for some great contrast.  I am looking forward to using this Jade with many other woods.

Now for the ring details:

Teak Wood Ring with Crushed Jade Inlay

Size US 13.5

Standard Width

Spalted Persimmon Wedding Set

Just finished and photographed a new Custom Order Wedding Set.  I made this set by layering Spalted Persimmon between layers of Walnut.  The Spalting gives the Persimmon some very wild black streaks running through the grain. 

Spalted Persimmon with Walnut Edges

I love the look of this wood.  However it is very limited supply.  This Persimmon was taken from a tree removed at my Mom's house. 

Wine Cork Inlay...

As most of your know, I love to find new materials to use for Inlay.  The other day while looking through my supplies, I found some Bottle Stopper Cork.  My mind instantly started working up a way to use it for inlay.

I choose a piece of Claro Walnut Burl.  The dark color of the Walnut contrast well with this base color of the Cork.  After finishing, the Cork, has a stronger surface so that it does not scratch as easy.  It does make the ring very light.

After finishing this ring I thought how it would make a great gift for Wine Lovers.   I know that many wine connoisseurs collect the corks from their favorite wines.  If provided with one of these corks, I could turn it into a custom ring with great meaning for the wearer.

Claro Walnut with Wine Cork Inlay



If you have any ideas that you would like to see me turn into an Inlay, please let me know.

Mystery Wood Heading to Fiji...

Recently I was contacted by a couple wanting a Wedding Set.  They were planning on eloping to Fiji over Christmas.  They were wanting to go as non-traditional as possible, so they decided on a set of wooden rings.

After some discussion they agreed on a design that they liked.  I happened to have a couple pieces of mystery wood that I thought would contrast well, and come close to the design sent.

I started with a Dark Wood Base, and used a Lighter Contrasting Veneer. The grain was set running across the ring, instead of around the ring.  It makes it appear that there are many small pieces of wood placed around the ring.

Please feel free to comment below, and let me know what you think.

Padauk Ring and Necklace Set

One of my friends recently requested a matching set to include a Necklace and Ring. These were to be made out of Padauk Wood with Lapis Lazuli Inlay.

The color of the Padauk is just amazing, and it gives the Lapis a darker tint, that pops very well.  The pictures do not do this set justice.

Padauk Wood Ring with Lapis Lazuli Inlay

Padauk Wood Pendant with Lapis Lazuli Inlay

A Mother of a Ring...

This ring I finished recently as a present for my MIL.  This is the first time I have used Katalox, and the finish is just wonderful.  It has the texture and finish of Ebony.  Paired with the Katalox, is Mother of Pearl Shell.  Together they make a great piece.

Katalox Wood Ring with Mother of Pearl Inlay

Cocobolo with Powdered Lapis Lazuli

It still amazes me how often this happens. I can have a specific Design idea, but the wood/ring wants to be something different.

This ring started out to be for a customer that wanted a dark wood with Amber Inlay. I got the ring sized, and was ready to start placing the stone. After placing the first couple pieces of stone, I realized that they looked clear. The Amber was so transparent, and the wood underneath was so dark, that you could not see any of the beautiful honey color. I stopped instantly and contacted the customer. We ended up deciding on going with Cherry for a base with the Amber.

So now what to do with this nice Cocobolo Base.

Walnut Wood Ring with Abalone Shell Inlay

I just love how this Abalone Shell looks when paired with a Dark Color Wood.  After picking up this Walnut to go with it, I decided to do a more domed shape for the ring.  I am very pleased with the results, and love how the Abalone flashes in the light.

Teak Wood w/ Copper Inlay Wedding Ring Set

This Teak Wood Wedding Ring Set was one of the first sets I made after we moved into our new house.  My wife and I needed an updated set of Rings, and I was wanting to try out a new design idea.

We ended up with the set you see here.  It is Teak Wood with a Copper Wire Inlayed and turned flat to match the contour of the ring.