Inspiration is a funny thing. Sometimes it doesn’t hit you while you’re sitting at your bench staring at a blank piece of metal. Sometimes it flashes across your phone screen from a thousand miles away, completely altering your creative trajectory for the week.
My partner, Steen, recently packed up his bike and headed up north for a rugged, coastal road trip. While he was navigating the winding highways, he sent back a handful of raw, unfiltered photos of the coastline.
The moment I saw them, I was completely captivated.
The images showed the deep, moody, roaring greens of the northern Pacific crashing against dark, jagged cliffs. It was a massive contrast to our sunny, laid-back Southern California beaches down here in Oceanside. There was an intense, untamed energy to that water—shades of deep teal, rich turquoise, and seafoam that looked completely mesmerizing.
I couldn't get those colors out of my head. I walked straight into my studio, flipped the switch on my lapidary wheels, and let that northern coastline guide my hands.
When you cut a raw stone, your goal is to find the story hidden inside the rough material. For this batch, I specifically selected rough gems that mirrored those exact liquid, moody tones from the trip.
As the wheels spun and the water flowed over the grinding wheels, I focused on shaping deep, oceanic geometries. I wanted these pieces to feel substantial—like a smooth piece of sea-worn treasure thrown up by a massive wave.
The final hand-cut stones captured the magic perfectly. You can see the swirls of deep teal and the subtle inclusions that look exactly like seafoam breaking against dark rock.
These stones are currently sitting on my bench, waiting to be set into heavy, custom sterling silver bands. They are going to form the backbone of a very limited, travel-inspired collection that I am launching soon.
🌊 Be the first to wear the coast: If you want to claim one of these finished, hand-cut stone rings before they drop to the public, claim them as part of a custom piece here.
If you’re curious about the exact setup Steen used to survive the heavy coastal rain and camp along those northern cliffs, I’ve put together a quick, transparent look at some of his gear. We always get asked about his road setups, so I centralized everything he swears by to keep the ride smooth.
- Gear Up: Check out our newly curated Moto & Camping Rain Gear List right here on Amazon.
Art, travel, and the open road—they all flow into the same creative river. Thanks for being here to watch these stones take shape.
Until next time, get outside and find what inspires you.