MATERIALS

The best part of being a jeweler is getting to work with all the pretty stones and watch a piece go through the ugly phase before the finishing process. In the end, each piece is oxidized or polished and then huzzah! The masterpiece is revealed! 
Here's the nuts and bolt of some of the materials that are used in USM pieces:
Natural Gemstones: Stones are sourced mostly from privately family owned mines in Nevada, New York, and Montana to name a few. We do our best to know the origin of as many of our stones as possible and we work closely with all of our stone dealers to assure the quality of each stone is heirloom quality. 
Metals: All of our metal is purchased new from our main metal supplier which is located in Albuquerque, NM. The recycled silver we use in our Topo Studs and Geo Studs comes form left over cuttings of other pieces. We use all of our silver and not a single scrap goes to waste.
Gemstone Beads: Occasionally you'll see some natural gemstone beads in our work, who doesn't love a beautiful bead! We purchase all of our beads in Tucson, AZ once a year at the Gem Show from a variety of dealers located in the US and India. 
Still have questions about the materials we use in our work? No problem, zip us an email at info@unionstudiometals.com