About the Designer

Artist Statement

Gemstones have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I made my first piece of jewelry using the Lost Wax Casting process at the age of 12. I began working as a bench jeweler fresh out of high school in 1980 at Brooks Jewelers, downtown Rock Island. Eight years later I ventured into the world of trade repair at Expressions Jewelers in Davenport, IA. My 9 years at Expressions were indeed a blessing. I worked alongside a wonderful mentor, Jim Turner, who taught me the art of balancing high volume with completing top notch repair work. I also sought GIA training for advanced stone setting. Eventually, raising a family necessitated working closer to home, so I made the move to McGivern's Jewelry in 1996. I spent 13 years running the repair shop as their bench jeweler in Rock Island, and later in Davenport, before making the move to my own store here in Rock Island.

It may sound crazy, but I truly enjoy the repair aspect of the jewelry business. I love the look on the customer's face when they see their jewelry all sparkling and polished. People often remark that their rings haven't looked that nice since they first bought them. My specialty is prong repair, though I work on everything from ring sizing to pearl stringing to replacing watch batteries. I'm currently mentoring my nephew, Nick, to be my apprentice in the repair trade. It takes me back to my early years when there was so much to learn. We do 100% of our repairs on-site. Your jewelry is treated with great care and we offer reasonable prices. We are proud members of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau and Jewelers of America. I'm currently completing my Master Bench Jeweler Certification with JA.

In additon to offering quality repair service on site, I also design and create each unique piece in the store, by hand. I began my journey using the Lost Wax method, but later found Hand Fabrication to be more creatively satisfying, as it allows me to stay in contact with my work, from raw metal and gemstone to sparkling finished piece. I use an oxygen/acetylene torch to anneal and fuse pieces of precious metal, shape and polish the item, then set diamonds and gemstones into the design. After years of working in the jewelry trade and participating in fine art festivals, November 24th, 2008 marked the opening of a long-awaited goal--the combination of a working studio space and a jewelry storefront in which to show and sell my work and offer experienced jewelry repair. I named this venture "Inspiredesign Jewelry" because I feel that nothing less than Divine inspiration and blessing allow me to follow my heart to create and complete the work that I do. I continue to participate in fine art festivals both close to home and in the Chicago area. For a current listing of art and gallery shows check out the Events page.