Our Story - Original
Randy Hays, Graduate Gemologist (G.G.), Graduate Jeweler Gemologist (G.J.G.) - Graduate Jeweler and Graduate Gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America.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.