Jeff McKenzie is a craftsman, goldsmith, silversmith, jeweler, designer and graduate gemologist. Jeff is the manufacturer of Paul Wagner's North Coast Collection jewelry, and his own personal line including reticulated silver and other various gemstone and metal designs. He was a jewelry store owner/operator in Olympia, WA for 19 years and has been making jewelry since 1984. Before getting into the hands-on end of the business, Jeff worked for Zale Corp in their headquarters in Dallas, Texas then moved into retail jewelry sales before apprenticing as a goldsmith. He is passionate about making jewelry and is constantly striving to improve the quality of all the jewelry he makes. He is at his happiest at his wax carving bench designing new pieces.
"Jewelry making is my way of expressing my own love and respect for artwork that is beautiful and well executed. I attempt to create pieces that are well detailed and pleasing to look at using materials that will last many years. It is interesting to me that most of the jewelry I make will last far beyond my own lifetime. The spiritual meanings attached to jewelry by its wearer give it life and significance beyond the materials used in its manufacture.
For me, there is nothing quite like taking a piece from concept to finished product. I enjoy the physical act of all the aspects of jewelry making that I employ, such as wax carving and casting, hand forming and assembly, torch work, and finishing techniques.
My work seems to be constantly changing and going in new directions. I hope to continue bringing beauty into the world for the rest of my life.
These pieces are made using a process called Reticulation, which is used exclusively by studio jewelers. It produces a ridged or ripply surface through controlled heating. The ridges of a reticulated surface are more pronounced than any other surface treatment, looking like a moonscape or a relief map of the Sierra Nevada. In indirect light, the ridges of reticulation cast shadows, like those thrown by mountains in the late afternoon sun. And just as mountain shadows change with the shifting sun, the shadows on a reticulated surface shift as the wearer moves."