MY CRAFT
LOW-KEY NERDY. REAL GEMSTONES.
I make gemstone jewelry inspired by the characters you love. Each piece carries the spirit of the character behind it: something you can wear anywhere and quietly be a nerd. Classy and refined, as much as it's nerdy.
IT'S JUST ME (FOR NOW)
THIS IS MY CRAFT, MY ART AND MY EXPRESSION
Right now, Legendary Gemworks is me. I design every piece, string every bracelet, write every card story and print every display in my studio in Tempe, Arizona.
One day I hope to bring on jewelry designers who want to bring their own vision to life, and more artists who want their work on the cards. New styles, new fandoms. I could make Sailor Moon pieces, but someone who really loves Sailor Moon would do it better.
For now, this is my craft, my art and my expression.
A DAY IN THE SHOP
Honestly? It's a little chaotic, in the best way. Most days start with packing online orders. From there I bounce around: restocking sold-out designs, building up inventory for the next con, designing new pieces, printing and cutting cards. Some days I'm writing card stories. Some days I'm sculpting new 3D models and printing displays in-house. I love that part, even when it drives me crazy. In between, I'm sourcing stones, shooting photos and videos, and packing the car for the next show.
FROM LOOSE STONES TO YOUR WRIST
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01 Lay it out.
Every design is arranged and sized on the board first.
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02 String it.
Hand-strung on stretch cord and tied off.
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03 Check it.
Each strand is checked before it gets a card.
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04 Box it.
Packed with its art card, ready to give.
HOW A DESIGN COMES TOGETHER
Sometimes it starts with a character. My first Giratina began as a one-off piece. I went to the store, grabbed a handful of beads and lined them up side by side until I found a color profile that fit Giratina and also worked together. It became a best-seller almost immediately, so I reworked it into a piece with more presence and bigger beads. It's still one of my best sellers, and honestly even cooler than the original.
Sometimes it starts with a stone. The first time I saw green calcite, I was pulled in by its color and translucence. The beads looked like green grapes, like something that could photosynthesize. I knew right then I had the main body of a Meganium design, and the rest fell into place.
WHAT MAKES A STONE RIGHT
A stone has to pull me in, and keep showing you more the longer you look at it. Arfvedsonite, the main component from Umbreon, is a great example. At first it reads flat black. Look closer and there's brown and gold in it, and when you roll it in the light, you catch flashes of blue.
When I match a stone to a Pokémon, I imagine how that Pokémon would look in the real world. I picture Umbreon's fur as a very dark brindle that reads black from far away. That's arfvedsonite. Every Umbreon bracelet also has two garnet beads for its eyes. Here's the part I didn't plan: arfvedsonite often has natural garnet inclusions. Those stones were meant to be together.
two things in one
EVERY PIECE COMES WITH AN ART CARD
Original artwork and a short story written for that design. I work with a small roster of illustrators, sharing my vision for each card and giving feedback until the art is right. Then I write the story that goes with it.
Each bracelet beside the art card it was built from.
MADE TO BE DISPLAYED
Want to be louder about it? That’s what the displays are for.
They started as a problem I needed to solve at my booth: how do I show, in an instant, that every bracelet comes with an art card? And how do I show off this jewelry in a way that’s absolutely flattering? So I started sculpting my own stands and printing them in-house.
Then people kept asking to buy them. Now I design every display with your shelf in mind, so your bracelet and its card look just as good at home as they did at the booth.
WELCOME TO THE INSIDE
When you open your bracelet, I want to see the excitement land, and then watch you connect the dots: why these stones, why this pattern, why they sit the way they do. I want you to feel super cool, like you're wearing a piece of your childhood that fits right into your adult life.
My favorite messages come from customers who showed their bracelet to a friend or coworker: "Isn't this so cool? It's actually based on a Pokémon. Guess which one." When the other person gets it right, you both light up. Now you know they're on the inside too.