The metalsmith celebrates the many forked notes of beat poetry—hammers striking, anvils ringing. Mystic forms, symbols, ancient traditions, and lifelong passions are forged into objects that carry both sound and memory.
Through fire and force, metal is shaped into something that speaks.
Damascus Steel
Pattern-welded steel—commonly known as Damascus—is created through the layering, folding, and precision forging of metals under heat and pressure. The resulting patterns emerge like natural phenomena:
- Wood grain
- Flowing water and rain drops
- Geologic stratigraphy
- Even constellations in the night sky.
Turkish Twist Pattern Welded Forged Steel in High Carbon and pure nickel Bracelet/Cuff.
Bronze hollow-ware with Mokume Gane ends in Silver and Copper.
By twisting and manipulating the billet, each piece becomes a one-of-a-kind record of movement and process. High-carbon tool steels, alloyed for strength and resilience, make Damascus ideal for both functional objects and enduring jewelry.
Opal in Strata number 20 End Billet series of a Mokume Gane Silver and Bronze Opal Necklace.
Billet End Series
Cut from the end of a Mokume Gane billet—material often discarded in the forging process—this piece reveals the hidden cross-section of layered copper and red brass, like geological strata.
An opal adds shifting light against the density of the forged metal. Each cross-section is unique: a snapshot of pressure and heat preserved in metal.
Each piece in this series is one of a kind.
Mokume Gane Turkish Twist Star Patterned Copper, Silver, and Dicks Gold Earrings.
Silver and Copper Rain Drop Pattern Mokume Gane Cuffs.
Reflection of Wood Grain inside and Rain Drop Pattern Mokume Gane Silver and Copper Cuff.
Mokume Gane Turkish Twist Cuff with Stars in Silver and Copper.
Cast Silver Saint Steno Trilobite Necklace and Bolo Tie.
Saint Steno Medallion
St. Steno Medallion
The Saint Steno Medallion:
Featured here is a cast silver trilobite piece inspired by Nicolas Steno—a founder of modern geology and stratigraphy.
Steno’s insight—that fossils were once living organisms—changed how we understand the earth. His observations of layered rock led to the principles of stratigraphy, revealing that the ground beneath us holds a readable history of time. A pioneer who first recognized that fossils were the preserved remains of ancient life.
Steno Silver Medallion
These Sterling Silver Trilobites (/ˈtraɪləˌbaɪts, ˈtrɪlə-/; meaning “three-lobed entities”) are extinct marine arthropods that form the class Trilobita. An ancient marine creature preserved in stone, becomes both subject and symbol:
- A remnant of deep time record of life fossilized in layers
- A bridge between science and meaning
Elrathia kingii
At the center of this piece is a trilobite—Elrathia kingii—a marine arthropod that lived over 500 million years ago. Its form is rendered in relief, echoing the fossil impressions found in stone throughout the American West.
Flip-side of the St. Steno Medallion
A Fossil Cast in Time
This sterling silver trilobite shows the medallions detail when you flip it over revealing its’ small circular mouth parts at the top.
One can wear and show either side. Pendant and chain reflects the moment when observation became understanding—when “tongue stones” were no longer curiosities, but evidence of deep time.
The trilobite becomes:
- A symbol of ancient life preserved in stone
- A marker of geological time and transformation
- A quiet testament to Steno’s realization that the earth holds a readable history
The textured surface and layered metal evoke burial, pressure, and deep time—the processes that transform sediment into rock and preserve traces of ancient life.
Triple Trilobites in St. Steno Medallion
Blastoid Necklace
By Niels_stensen.jpg: J. P. Trap 1868derivative work: nagualdesign (talk) – Niels_stensen.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18005089
