Our Stories - Randy Hays, Graduate Gemologist & Graduate Jeweler Gemologist
Randy Hays, Graduate Graduate Jeweler (G.J.G.) and Gemologist (G.G.), Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Jewelry has been a passion of mine for nearly 40 years. Form and design have always intrigued me. Whether it's a seashell, the stone carvings on a cathedral, or even a rusty hinge in the ghost towns I explore on my motorcycle, I try and notice as much as I can and soak it all in.
I am also fascinated with the history and the rich symbolism my Scots-Irish ancestors left to us. I look carefully and attempt to learn from them what is important in life. Many other cultures speak to me as well. My home in the desert Southwest is a crossroads for many cultures.
My mother taught art to elementary school children as I grew up. There were always art materials around our home and there was always a new project to try. I fell in love with the jewelry arts through a high school class. The allure of torches, files, and grinding wheels has remained a passion to this day. But my greatest (and unexpected) pleasure was the smiles my work brought out when someone saw their new piece for the first time. What a rush!
Seeing the movie Toy Story in the mid-1990's was a big revelation to me. One of the short "The Making Of Toy Story" documentaries really intrigued me. I figured if you could make a perfectly realistic Mr. Potato Head on a computer, a ring couldn't be that hard. Six long months later I did create that ring, the first of many. At the time, there was no specific software for jewelers so I developed my own techniques using animation software. Shortly thereafter, I began to teach what I knew to other jewelry designers. That led to employment helping the Silicon Valley software gurus create the very first CAD jewelry design tools that many jewelers find essential today.
Most of my last 16 years have been spent spreading these incredible new tools around the globe and helping other jewelers find their vision. That effort left little time for my own creative work.
But the magic alchemy of fire, metal, and gems has done its work and I have been drawn back to my original passion - making jeweled ornaments for the pleasure and delight of those that enjoy such things.
Thank you for taking the time to explore our website. It will be a great honor to provide you with something that makes you smile from time to time. After all these years, that's still something I live for.
Our Stories - Cheri Hays - Social Media Manager and Head Cheerleader
Cheri Hays - Singing at Outdoor Concert
If you had told me a few years ago I would be involved in almost every aspect of a fine jewelry business I would have been shocked. But . . . here I am.
Randy and I were married in November of 2013. We were both fortunate enough to be able to work from home, but in very different industries. Randy was selling equipment to the jewelry industry and I was telecommuting for a Fortune 200 Company.
After we got married, Randy and I encouraged each other to return to our individual, long deserted, artistic passions. Through our love and support of each other, Randy started designing jewelry again and I started studying and singing opera again. It was a life-changing experience for both of us. We loved watching the others’ artistic talents blossom and mature.
In 2017, Randy’s jewelry design and manufacturing business started to really gain momentum. We had dreamed of someday being able to join forces and focus solely on Celtic Jewelscapes - a business we could share and grow together. In June of 2017 we decided to take the leap.
I often refer to the website you are viewing today as a “labor of love.” Randy was very patient while I spent 3 months learning how to build a website and learning the basic ins-and-outs of e-commerce.
We are looking forward to hearing from more of you and helping to create pieces that are uniquely yours!
Our Stories - As Told on Our Wedding Rings
Has it ever happened to you? It only happens a few times in your life . . . and that is if you are really lucky. You meet someone and within a short time you are wondering if you have just met a twin you were separated from at birth, even though you aren’t the same age or from the same geographical area. Not only do you have a lot in common - common interests, common knowledge, etc. - but there is something you can ‘feel.’ You just ‘know’ this person, even if you know very little about their actual history or circumstances. That is how it began for Randy and me.
The story of our first week together is told on the wedding bands Randy designed for us. We met, believe it or not, on scooters. I saw someone named Randy from the local scooter club was leading a Friday afternoon ride. As it turned out, I was the only one that showed up. As I was new to the area and new to scooters, Randy decided to take me to a beautiful desert mountain pass near Tucson. By the first stop light we began to find we had many things in common. During the ride we stopped to take photos and realized there was a beautiful new moon that evening. Before we knew it we were looking around and realizing the restaurant we had stopped at was empty except for us. The restaurant had closed and the management was ready to go home. We were so engrossed in our conversation we hadn't even noticed that time had slipped by. The same thing happened the next time we went out.
The view from two-wheels along Gates Pass Road.
That first ride was on a Friday. The following Friday was the day after Thanksgiving and Randy offered to take me to a beautiful surprise location. I agreed and he took me to the Salt River Canyon. Being from the midwest I had never experienced a mountain pass and canyon like this one, complete with a river running through it. We stopped for a snack at the bottom of the canyon and were mesmerized by the hawks soaring above. That is when Randy learned I was an avid bird watcher and I learned hawks were part of his family crest. It was during that same trip we both realized, and even verbalized to each other, we would be spending the rest of our lives together.
Do you have a story that goes along with your special piece of jewelry from Celtic Jewelscapes? Please send it to us, along with any photos you would like to share, and we may feature it on this website. Your stories and your joy upon receiving and wearing Randy’s art is what drives our passion for our work.
A view of the beautiful Salt River Canyon