Contributors to this thread:
Can anyone recommend an elk ivory jeweler?
Check out Rocky Mountain Scrimshaw.
How long do these custom shops usually take to make jewelry out of your ivory? Our 14th anniversary is coming up next summer and I've been planning on something for the wife with elk ivory.
Tom and Mary High did some great work for me. I needed it on short notice for gifts on an Aussie hunt and they came through. Excellent work and great to work with.
Google Jensens Jewelers. Have used them and they do great work.
Ike, I was pleased with the "Frontier Collection" work done by Riddle's Jewelry in Rapid City. Mine was about a 3 week turnaround.
I do elk rings and special requests....check out www.schnackcreative.com
Cheers,
Ted
What are you guys having made with your ivories?
Share some pics.
Post pics of classy wife suitable stuff please. I've got a couple ivories I've been wanting to do something with, but I've yet to see anything I'd consider suitable personally, most stuff is a bit gaudy. My wife is a non hunting city girl.
Lol SD, my wife's e same. I could only imagine giving her some jewelry from an elk I killed. It would have to be very classy.
http://riddles.riddlesjewelry.netdna-cdn.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/small_image/250x250/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/h/shoshone.jpg I had one of these done for my wife in silver with an ivory from her first bull.
I'm a goldsmith by trade and could no doubt help come up with a design for you. I'm not a sponsor, so I don't want to step on any toes here.
Basically over the last 20 years or so, I've designed hundreds and hundreds of wearable items that the ladies love to wear. The process that works almost without fail is that I insist that- the concept needs to come from the customer.
Personal/custom jewelry is exactly that, personal. It's different from walking into a store like ours and picking out something from 2000 in-stock, already designed items and finding THE piece.
The process I try to lead customers to, is looking at images of jewelry in catalogs, online, or in-stock items and then I have you try and show me what things you like about a particular piece. It doesn't have to be that you like the whole thing, just show me PART of something you like. The customer, by finding multiple things they like, across a number of even wildly different pieces, now has shown me what they want.
What I do amazingly well is connecting those dots into a finished piece that interestingly, actually originated from YOU. I simply put the puzzle together in a wearable, long lasting design given the application at hand.
My suggestion, if you want your wife to really wear this, is to involve her.
Google images- cabochon (smooth domed top stones of any type) rings (if she want's a ring, pendant if she wants that, etc). Bookmark and save the body of images she likes, again focusing on the PARTS of things she likes. Then a competent goldsmith should be able to take it from there using part of your ivory.
I'd love to help, even if it's just a conversation or critique. No charge for that lol.
Bill Martin 574-234-2919
Thanks Bill, I couldn't make it work
oh, man, I want that arrowhead....only silver and heavier chain.
Robert Giede Designs. Bob is from my hometown. He's RMEF Life & committee member (if that matters to you) and does great work. http://www.robertgiededesign.com/ElkIvoryandWildlife
"suitable stuff please"
ok, I got nothin' ......
Talk to Adventurewriter, he'll hook you up. He does amazing work!
