swj
Custom Designs
Hand-Crafted & Inspired by You
If you are interested in working with me on a custom piece, please contact us and we can set-up a time to discuss your one-of-a-kind, custom project.
Feel free to bring stones, metal, old jewelry, simple or elaborate drawings and your ideas. Also, think about your metal and stone preferences, budget, and size of piece. At this time I work with sterling silver, yellow gold and copper.
Please keep in mind removal of stones from their current bezels or prong settings could cause damage to stones or even breakage.
The Process
Timeframe
Custom orders have at least a 3 month turnaround after 50% non-refundable deposit is received. Rush orders are by approval only.
If you are interested in a custom design please contact us to make an appointment, as this is the best way to insure you have uninterrupted time to talk about your piece.
Shipping
In stock items will be shipped within 2-5 business days of receiving order via USPS Priority Insured mail.
There is a $18 flat fee for 1-2 items, $25 flat fee for 3-4 items. For expedited shipments or to request another carrier please contact us.
Care
All jewelry will tarnish after being exposed to air for a time. We suggest using jewelry polishing cloths to keep your items like new.
Do not use liquid cleaners as doing so will remove the oxidization and voids the 14 day guarantee.
Our customers are saying...
They are even more gorgeous than they were in the pictures! I love them soooo much!! I love all the little touches so much! I like how the larger links move around as I do. You did such a great job, I can't even believe it!
Michelle
I believe the pieces you brought over last night suit my wife particularly well, and pleased her very much. That means a lot to me. The list of designers whose work she will wear is very short, and as of now, you are the star. I rarely find pieces she’s willing to let me buy for her.
T.M.
It's lovely...and so much more than what you described. My friend will love it!
Tammy
I am so excited to wear the ring! You have quite the reputation for beautiful pieces! I wear my Spectrolite pendant frequently and hear the compliments like, “That’s from that lady’s shop in Bayfield!” I find myself picking out clothes so I can wear it more often!! Thank God we wear royal blue scrubs because I wear it everyday to work!!!
B.
Now I have Lake Superior with me wherever I go!
Anne
Staff is awesome! Of course, the jewelry never disappoints. Great vibe in the beautiful new space!
KB
Every time I've gone in, I have had a fantastic experience. The products are lovely and the staff are friendly. Definitely a place I rec. to friends and family.
JG
Your shop is one of my main stops every time I’m in Bayfield. I love your work and love the happy vibe of your shop. Every time I’m in there, it seems filled with joy and laughter.
D.
I am absolutely thrilled with the pendant art. The Lake Superior pendant is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. It captures the spirit of the lake, and I will be thrilled to wear this for decades to come.
For years I have searched all around the lake for such a magnificent pendant and never found what I desired. Now, I have what I have sought for so long and have you to thank for what you’ve designed and bringing my search to a fully successful conclusion.
Gary
swj
Materials
Showcasing native Lake Superior stones by bezel setting them, is my favorite way to make jewelry.
That means I have drawers of Lake Superior Agate, Mohawkite, and Greenstone cabouchons, cut by my two favorite crabbers; Bob Wright of Superior, WI and Gary Wilson of Tuscon, AZ. I also have collections of stones such as basalt and beach glass. All have been naturally worked by the wind and waves.
Using these stones (and others from around the world), I manipulate sterling silver, gold, white gold, and copper sheet metal to help me tell stories that don’t need words. These stories reflect my love and connection to water, waves, and wind.
The sterling silver, copper wire, and sheet metal I use are from 100% reclaimed metal, not newly mined sources.
> Click each of the five stones displayed below to learn more about their origins and properties.
Leland Blue Slag
Antique Foundry Glass
This unique “gem” is a byproduct of the short-lived days of smelting iron ore in Northwest Lower Michigan(c.1875-1900) .
The ore from the Upper Peninsula’s Mesabi iron range arrived in Leelanau Co. by schooner. A charcoal made from beech and maple hardwoods plus a local limestone flux were used to refine the ore; the slag byproduct was considered waste and dumped into Lake Michigan.
This material ranges in color from black to green, to blue and purple, with the various shades of water-like blues being the most prized and rare.
Under 2% of the slag created was blue, depending on environmental factors.
Pendant created using Leland Slag Glass.
Greenstone
MI State Gemstone
The “official state gem” of Michigan. It is a variety of the mineral pumpellyite with a turtleback pattern and occurs as amygdaloid structures and fracture fillings in basalt.
When water and wave action wear away the basalt, greenstone beach pebbles and granules remain in loose sediments.
Although it is a rare mineral, it is found in the Keweenaw Peninsula of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Isle Royal in the northern part of Lake Superior.
Properties: Enhances harmony and cooperation in relationships as well as personal healing.
Pendant created using Greenstone.
Thomsonite
Rare Gemstone
A rare gemstone found on the north shore of Lake Superior.
It is a zeolite that forms eye shaped patterns due to its radiating formation and is composed of hydrous silicate with aluminum, sodium and calcium.
It is commonly found as pink and white pebbles seldom larger than an inch in diameter in a basalt matrix.
Less common are the greens and sometimes purple or blues. Properties: Aids clarity of thought.
Pendant created using Thomsonite.
Mohawkite
Extremely Rare
Named after the original locality, the Mohawk Mine, Mohawkite is extremely rare and occurs only in the Mohawk-Ahmeek area of Keweenaw County, Michigan.
With a harness between 3 & 3.5, Mohawkite is mainly a copper-arsenic compound containing cobalt, silver, nickel and iron.
Properties: The combined energies of the minerals which compose Mohawkite bring stability, balance and openness to ones being.
Pendant created using Mohawkite.
Lake Superior Agate
Gemstone
Agates are a gemstone with a hardness of 7; harder than Basalt or Rhyolite.
Beautiful banding, varied patterns, and eye-catching colors unique to each agate are created by quartz with small amounts of different elements. Red bands are the result of the rusting of iron within the agate when exposed to oxygen.
These gemstones can be found on many Lake Superior beaches throughout the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Properties: Good for security, strength, to raise energy and to enhance personal courage and calming.
Pendant created using Lake Superior Agate.