Some of the best ideas come from happy accidents, and that’s exactly how my fingerprint jewelry designs were born. I was working with a wonderful couple on their wedding rings—hers was already planned, a bold design featuring her diamond and moon shape amethysts. His was meant to have Harley wings, a tribute to his love for riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles. I was making a mold of her earrings to use as the shape and size for his ring’s wings, and as I pressed the wax with my hands, I realized something—my fingerprints were showing up on his ring.
At first, I offered to polish them out, of course. But as I looked at them, I thought, Why not have their fingerprints there instead of mine? I brought it up to him, and he thought it was a silly idea at the time. So we went with a clean, polished finish as he’d originally wanted. But that tiny moment sparked something big for me. I kept thinking about the beauty of leaving a mark—literally—and how powerful it could be for couples to incorporate their own fingerprints into something as personal as a wedding ring. From there, my ‘Our Story’ rings were born.
At its heart, jewelry tells a story. With my ‘Our Story’ fingerprint jewelry, that story becomes deeply personal. It’s a collaboration between me and the couple or family, where we create something that captures their bond in a way that’s uniquely theirs. Every fingerprint, every line, every impression holds a memory. The soft, organic texture of the rings reminds us that life and love are not always perfect and polished—they’re real, they’re personal, and they’re beautiful in their uniqueness.
If you visit my studio in Chico, California, you’ll see several finished samples of fingerprint rings and jewelry designs on display. When a client comes in to talk about creating one, we start by discussing all the design details. We talk about the width of the band, the size, the gemstones they’d like to include—whether it’s diamonds, birthstones, or even heirloom stones from family jewelry. From there, we start telling their story.
Once the design is mapped out, I carve the base of the ring in soft wax, shaping it to the size and width we’ve decided on. Then comes the magical part: the clients make their fingerprint impressions directly into the wax ring. Often, we’ll sit and chat during this process, coming up with ideas for additional design elements. Maybe we’ll add lines that symbolize their life journey together, dots representing their children or pets, or textures inspired by their favorite places or hobbies.
After the wax model is complete, I handle the casting process. I sprue, invest, and cast the ring, then move into the finishing stages, soldering on any settings for gemstones and doing the final polish. Throughout this entire journey, I take photographs of each step—including images of any heirloom jewelry that’s being repurposed or melted into the new ring. This becomes part of a keepsake design booklet that I create for my clients, capturing their story from start to finish. It’s one of my favorite parts of the process because it allows them to look back and remember every step that led to their one-of-a-kind piece.
Every ‘Our Story’ piece I create holds a memory for me, too. I can still picture the couple who had been married for over 40 years. They wanted her two-carat diamond in the center of her ring, surrounded by abstract lines they both loved. Then, they added four dots to represent their four dogs—since they didn’t have children, their dogs were their family. As we worked on the design, he joked about needing to include his daily gin and tonic, so we incorporated a subtle lime texture into one section of the ring. It’s little touches like these that make every piece so deeply personal and meaningful.
Another beautiful memory is of a grandmother’s birthday pendant. Three generations of her family came to my studio and pressed their fingerprints into a heart-shaped design. We added their initials and birthstones to complete it. Seeing everyone come together to create something so full of love was an honor.
There was a couple who loved to garden, and their fingerprint ring included delicate floral motifs. Another pair was getting married on the coast, and we pressed a sand dollar into their wax model as part of the design. These are the moments I hold close—each ring becomes a physical reminder of a story shared, a connection deepened.
For local clients who can visit my studio, the experience of making their fingerprint jewelry is hands-on and collaborative. They press their own fingerprints, they sit with me as we shape their story into wax, and they witness the transformation firsthand. For clients who work with me from afar, I create rings that feature my fingerprints—my “maker’s mark”—while telling a story inspired by their journey. I also provide kits and instructions so they can send impressions back to me for use in the design.
One of my favorite examples of this collaborative storytelling is a ring set that became an award winner in the JCK Jeweler’s Choice Awards back in 2013. The design tells the story of two separate lives traveling their own paths until they come together, joining as one. I still find that idea incredibly moving, and it inspires so many of my future designs.
When someone wears an ‘Our Story’ ring, I hope they feel the joy and love that went into its creation. These pieces aren’t just jewelry—they’re keepsakes that carry memories of the experience, the people they love, and their personal journey. Many clients tell me they share the story behind their rings with friends and family, sparking conversations about love, life, and connection.
At the end of the day, that’s what I strive for as a jeweler. To create pieces that become part of your story—pieces you’ll cherish not just for how they look, but for what they mean.
If you’ve ever thought about creating a piece of jewelry that tells your story, I’d love to chat. Whether it’s an ‘Our Story’ ring, a pendant, or something entirely different, we can work together to craft something truly personal and meaningful. After all, everyone’s story is worth telling—and wearing.
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