EXQU ISITE D E S I GN ,
EXCEPTIONAL
QUALITY
By Debbie Stone Photos Caitlin Elizabeth
Howard knows there are many complex decisions involved in designing a piece of custom-made fine jewelry, specifically something as personal as custom-designed wedding or engagement rings, so he strives to establish the right environment in order to best assist clients. “I want to give them the jewelry of their dreams, and I don’t want to make the experience stressful or negative in any way.” About half of Howard’s work is devoted to updating and redoing jewelry brought to him by his customers. “They want something fresh with artistry, but they don’t want to lose the sentimental value of these older pieces,” he explains. For those who aren’t sure what they want, Howard will encourage them to browse around his store to get ideas; the shop carries Native American and estate jewelry in addition to Howard’s own work. He tells them to look at magazines and books, and to bring him pictures, too. “Maybe there’s an element of something they like that they saw, and that’s a place to start,” he says. “I also draw sketches–designs that come to my mind when I look at the piece. This involves sitting with it and tearing the piece apart with my eyes. You have to see a lot to understand how something was made.”
M
arc Howard takes pride in never doing the same thing twice. The highly regarded master goldsmith is known for his one-of-a-kind custom pieces in golds and platinum set with diamonds and colored gemstones, as well as his ability to restyle out-of-date or inherited jewelry. “I don’t repeat my designs,” says Howard. “My customers trust that when I create a piece for them, it will be totally unique.” He adds, “I view each piece as a small metal sculpture that reflects its owner.” The longtime owner of Marc Howard Custom Jewelry Design has been at his craft since 1972. As a student at Colorado State University,
he initially studied history, but then opted to get a degree in broadcast journalism. While at school, he also discovered metalwork, and found that making jewelry tapped into his creativity and brought out his artistic sensibilities. The rest, as they say, is history. Howard gets much gratification from his work, but equally important to him is satisfying his clients. “My customers are my primary concern,” he comments. “I make the things they desire, so they get exactly what they want, but I also need to love the pieces I create as much as they do, in terms of the artistic integrity of the piece. It’s a combination of satisfaction on both ends.”
Howard emphasizes that having a sense of proportion is essential in his work, as this guides the design and helps to balance the various elements. Many of Howard’s customers are local families who have been coming to him for a long time, some for 20 years or more. “They’ve become good friends now,” he says. “And their word of mouth helps to bring in new business, which I appreciate.” Marc Howard Custom Jewelry Design 328 S. Guadalupe St., Ste E 505.820.1080 Marc-Howard.com