From Design to Craftmanship, Marc Howard Does it All

From Design to Craftsmanship, Marc Howard Does it All Photos Carolyn Wright

There’s nothing quite like jewelry. It dazzles when the light hits it, makes you feel pretty, catches that special someone’s eye and maybe even makes you a bit more confident. However, as each person’s tastes are unique, so it is true with jewelry: no two people can wear the same piece alike.

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t Marc Howard Custom Jewelry Design, owner Marc Howard understands the uniqueness of each piece of jewelry to its wearer. “If you’re going to be wearing jewelry, it generally has to say something about you,” he explains. “I work with people who come in and don’t have a clue what they want. I urge them to look around town and pick out specific elements of things that appeal to them.

Sometimes clients know what they want, and it’s fun to pull out elements of design with them and find what they really identify with.”

Howard’s expertise spans the gamut from Etruscan and Edwardian to art

nouveau and art deco. Though the bulk of his work is fine jewelry, Howard enjoys craft jewelry projects as well. Craft jewelry, in contrast to fine jewelry, is less finished and more textured. There’s often more free form and layers of metal. It’s not as tailored, and oftentimes there are components of bone, wood or gems used organically. Fine jewelry, on the other hand, tends to be more tailored with cleaner lines.

When working with a client on designing and crafting a new piece, Howard sees his role as that of an educator. “My job is to teach consumers how to describe what they want and give them incentive to look more closely,” he notes. “When

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most people look at a piece of jewelry, they see everything at once instead of the individual elements. They don’t see the way it’s connected or how the forms work together. They think it’s all one unit, and my job is to show them how to see each individual element.”

He continues: “If you’re designing a ring, maybe you like prongs. Do you want them to be heavy or almost invisible? Then you look at the shank — is it straight and narrow or does it have texture or stones? Then there’s shape — wide, narrow, rounded or flat. There could be a pictograph, engraving or etching carved into it. There’s a lot that goes on within each element. Basically, jewelry combines engineering, chemistry, metallurgy and art.”

It’s well worth noting Howard is one of the only jewelers in town who also runs his store. Though there are several designers who have a craftsman make the jewelry, Howard runs the store, designs and then makes the jewelry in the back. He describes how this is important: “If you talk to the person who makes your jewelry, you have a better chance of getting exactly what you want. I’ve been doing this for 43 years, and I almost always totally please my clients.”

Marc Howard Custom Jewelry Design 328 S. Guadalupe St. 505.820.1080 www.marc-howard.com