Andy began designing and creating his own pieces of jewelry when he was just seventeen. He worked in a craft store in Queens, New York, a perfect place for someone who had always been creative. The craft store gave him the inspiration he needed to enroll in the Bulova School for Design and Repair. It was there that he received his formal training as a bench jeweler.
The pieces which Andy has on display and for sale at Kingston Fine Jewelry are fashioned primarily in sterling silver. When asked why he prefers working in silver, he said, "Silver is a soft metal that loves to be worked and forged. It presents many challenges along the way in the preparation of a new piece, but those challenges ultimately add to the final results." "Sterling silver," "he added, "has a character that you just don't get from gold." Despite his preference for silver, Andy is equally comfortable working in copper, brass, gold, and platinum.
Andy often incorporates semiprecious stones and minerals into his pieces. He explained, "I can work with the textures, shapes, and artistry in the stones to inspire a new piece that I might never have thought of otherwise." Some of Andy's favorite stones are jasper, spectrolite, larimar, pietersite, and covellite. He particularly enjoys working with color-changing, star, and cats-eye stones.
Andy explained that his "inspiration comes mainly from nature and the stones themselves." When asked what he thought were the most important elements of his designs and what he wants to achieve when he designs a piece, he explained, "I want to make pieces that complete the stones and give inspiration to the people who wear them; pieces that people would want to hand down from generation to generation."
Albeit Andy often creates designs from his customer's visions, he is happiest when allowed to design following his own instincts, inspiration, and visions. In his words, "I never know how it will end. It usually surprises me and I love the surprise!" He recalled the one piece that to date is his favorite. They are a pair of pyramid-shaped earrings with cabochon sunstones on top, surrounded by filigree. He also lovingly described one other piece that he designed, as ". . . a necklace with a large emerald-shaped aquamarine, a medium-sized opal briolette, fashioned in platinum with cascading chains looking like chain mail, completed by diamonds at each intersection."
It's clear when speaking with Andy and looking at the pieces he has designed that he loves what he does and that he is really, really good at it. Whether you want to take your own personal vision and have Andy turn it into an exquisite piece of jewelry, or have an "old" piece rejuvenated into a new piece, or you want to purchase one of the pieces Andy has already made, we welcome you to come in and speak with him. Kingston Fine Jewelry is proud to have him on our staff as one of our bench jewelers.
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