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If You’re Hesitating, You’re Not Alone If you’ve found yourself pausing before buying jewelry lately, you’re not imagining things. Many people feel uncertain right now. Gold prices are high. Lab-grown diamonds are everywhere. Technology is moving fast. Even meaningful purchases can start to feel risky. That hesitation isn’t a flaw. It’s a sign that you’re taking the decision seriously. As a designer, I see this moment differently than most headlines do, and I want to share th

Not all Christmas movies are cozy. Some are strange. Some are infamous. A few are both. This unranked nerdy Christmas must-watch list celebrates the weird, wonderful, and wildly specific holiday viewing that true nerds can’t help but love.

As the last of autumn’s color settled into our yard and the first real snowfall blanketed Fort Collins, I couldn’t resist creating a little seasonal magic in the studio. I gathered the fall leaves I’d saved from an earlier shoot, borrowed the holiday décor my wife had been lovingly arranging around the house, and set out to photograph a few of our demo pieces in the glow of the season. While none of these handcrafted treasures can arrive by Christmas — each one is made to ord

Some stories live quietly inside the materials we hold onto. This grape-inspired pearl pendant began as two cherished memories from different seasons of one woman’s life — a childhood tradition at SeaWorld and slow, unforgettable evenings in a vineyard. Here’s how those moments became a piece of jewelry she can carry close to her heart.

Running Corgi Pendant CAD Model Progress When Life Kicks You in the Teeth, Corgis Are Always the Answer You know those weekends… When everything  seems to pile on at once… When you feel like you got your teeth kicked in from every angle… When all you want to do is curl up under a blanket and pretend the world doesn’t exist? Yeah. That was me. Completely drained and still moving anyway. And while life has moved on — as it always does — I still felt like hiding in a hole. But i

Corgi Costumes from the Tour de Corgi Parade What do a regal corgi and a Victorian bat have in common? More than you’d think. I designed the Victorian Chiroptera Necklace  over a year ago, inspired by a collaboration with Sheri Lauren  and a Halloween event featuring musician Jack Elliott  and his vampire saga. The piece drew from the romantic elegance of Victorian-era jewelry — a way to give bat lovers something refined, meaningful, and timeless to wear with pride. Victorian

Is it possible to prep like crazy and still show up energized for the big day? Back in grad school, I thought I had found the secret. But...

From Parade to Pendant: Designing a Corgi Jewelry Collection Worth Wagging About If you’re a corgi lover, you’ve probably gone shopping...

Why I Named My Comic-Con Panel “The Princess That Punched Me for Trying to Save Her” I used to think I was being a gentleman. Back in...

Oh the sweet heaven of a belly scratch in the fresh grass A Parade of Corgis Every fall in Fort Collins, something strange and wonderful...

There’s a new jewelry line brewing here at Charming Quail—and it’s unlike anything I’ve designed before. This time, the inspiration...

Well I’m excited to tell you that I’ve just dropped a handful of videos that continue the behind the scenes story of creating the honey bee ring. Rather than going on and on about it all, I invite you to click on the video below and enjoy journeying along with me, through the trials and tribulations, as well as the celebrations. All aboard! Playlist - Honey Bee Ring: The Story

Jerry W. Engler’s book, Just Folks Well, Sunday, June 1st, 2025, Sheri Lauren  and I will be hosting a pre Father’s Day event, including...

Shopping for a diamond for the first time can feel overwhelming. Cut, color, clarity, carat—there’s a lot to take in, and it’s not always clear what actually matters when you're trying to get a truly beautiful stone for your budget. Don’t worry—I’ve got you. In the video below, I break down the 4Cs of diamonds in a way that’s easy to understand, with real talk about how to shop smart and what to prioritize. Whether you're buying an engagement ring or your first piece of fine

I got the kids settled into playing some video games, creating a little quiet space for myself. It was time to start cooking dinner, but I wasn’t in the kitchen. I was at my computer, clicking away at the 3D model of the bee ring. I knew if I didn’t start cooking soon, dinner would be late, which would make getting the boys ready for bed late, and getting them to bed late. It would throw the whole schedule off, but I didn’t care. This honey bee ring design had been living in

When Beautiful Isn’t Enough Have you ever poured your energy into something all day, only to stare at it later and think... “meh”? That was me yesterday. I spent hours sketching concepts for the Honey Bee Ring — ideas that were nice, maybe even beautiful. But they didn’t feel right. They looked a little too traditional, too expected. Like they could have come from anywhere. And that’s just not the kind of jewelry I want to make. So I went to bed. Or tried to. And that’s when

Confused about the difference between natural, synthetic, and imitation stones? You’re not alone. Whether you're shopping for an engagement ring, picking out your next favorite necklace, or just love learning about sparkle science (hi, friend 👋), it can be tough to know what you're really looking at. Are synthetic diamonds fake ? Is an imitation gem the same thing as a lab-grown stone ? Are natural stones the only “real” option? Let’s clear that up—no guilt, no pressure, j

I almost scrapped the whole thing. The sketches weren’t working. The bat had no personality, no soul. It was just… fine. And "fine" isn’t enough for something meant to be treasured. I stared at the page, feeling that familiar frustration—the kind that whispers, “Maybe this isn’t going to work.” But I wasn’t about to settle. This needed to be a necklace that bat lovers wouldn’t just wear, but would be one they’d fall in love with. The Missing Piece I leaned back, staring at th

Have you ever found a beautiful piece of jewelry, brought it home, only to find later that it got bent out of shape—or worse, lost a stone? Or maybe you’re considering getting engaged, but you’ve never really worn jewelry before. Now you’re wondering how to make sure the wedding set you get will last as long as your marriage. While there are a few things to consider, the first thing to figure out is which metal will hold up against everyday wear and tear for a lifetime. In th

🦇 From fear to creation: How a vampire musical saga and Victorian aesthetics inspired my first bat-themed jewelry piece. Read the full story!