It is important to have a good hobby, and for a long time, I have been fascinated by gems and minerals. Some years ago, I started polishing interesting stones, and fashioned these stones into simple necklaces, tie tacks, and earrings. The beautiful turquoise and silver work done for centuries by New Mexico Native Americans has had a strong influence on me, so I began working with turquoise and silver, creating pens, necklaces, rings, bolo ties, earrings, even an occasional squash blossom necklace, a Navajo favorite. I am now retired in West Texas, and I still look for unusual things to make in my silver and lapidary shop. I regularly produce jewelry with coral, rubies, the shell of a freshwater mussel which produces a beautiful pink shell, and have even fashioned jewelry from the patterns of antique dinner plates. 

My kids have urged me to show off the work I have done, and my son Jim has helped produce this web site to demonstrate my skills and brag a little about the jewelry that I have produced for years for family and friends.

Darrell