The Process

From the unearthing of the raw materials to the finished works of art these heirlooms are designed and carried through an intimate process fueled by the passion to create something new with every waking moment.

The first step is getting out in nature and discovering. All throughout the mountains, into the forests, along the rivers, and down to the Pacific Northwest coastlines, Jordon, searches for unique woods and rare stones to implement into his work.

The next phase is a long process by which he filters through all the materials picking out the best of best to make sure everything that goes into each piece will last the test of time. Once this part is completed it's on to preparing and staging of what will get worked on first.

The  all begins with the carving and polishing of the gems and stones. This ancient art form is what really sets each piece apart because there is no one stone that is the same thus they cannot be treated the exact same. Every stone is pre shaped to ensure that all the angles are correct so that when going into the next stages of carving everything will line up. Starting off with a 100 grit to make the initial shape then going all the way up through 180, 325, 600, 1200, 3000 grit sometimes even 8000 grit and finishing off with a 14,000 grit paste to bring that incredible high polish out.

Next is the designing process. In this stage he begins by tracing the stone onto paper and intricately draws a custom shape to perfectly cater to the cut gem. These shapes will be carbon transferred onto the chosen woods which are then diligently cut out with a band saw. Once all of the shapes are cut they get cleaned up and detailed on the belt sander. As a final part of the woodworking process, he uses very fine hand sanders to ensure the contours are smooth, the bevels are equal, and that when oiled all of the beautiful tones in the wood shine through evenly.

Now comes the time to bring the two completed parts as one. Setting the stone. This very intense and intricate process is where it can truly make it or break it because if you go too far many of the times there's no going back. Using a fixed Dremel with a wood burr bit he slowly carves away the space where the gem will sit. Depending on the size and shape of the setting it can take hours of switching bits and rechecking the alignment to absolutely make sure the stones will rest properly.

From this point on is smooth sailing. Using the Dremel a hole is cut for the lace to run through and any other fine detail work is tidied up before going into the oiling and gluing stages. To give the pieces a beautiful finished look, multiple days of applying Linseed oil with 24 hour cure periods in between each application. Once they have fully cured its onto gluing. For this step a powerful two part epoxy resin is used liberally in order to fastened the stone strongly and safely to the wood. This resin is referred to as a molecular bonder and is designed for capping opals which means its extremely strong and resilient. The curing pieces sit in a warm dry room for a few days allowing the resin to set properly.

This in depth multi-phase process is the back bone by which every one these heirlooms is made and not one step is ever skipped. As a summary there is a list of all the tools involved with what purpose they serve