Our Story, Our Studio

Head, Heart & Hands

More than a century ago, there was a worldwide craft movement in reaction to the Industrial Revolution. Artisan makers asserted the genius of their hearts and hands to create works of art that changed the history of design.

Today, we are seeing a similar reaction to the Digital Age. The influence of the Handmade Movement is being experienced everywhere. Chris Ploof Designs is at the heart of it—put better, Chris’s head, heart and hands are in it.

The combination of head, heart and hands defines where everything comes together. Chris Ploof Designs does more than check boxes and steer consumer choices. We blend thought and emotion with our materials to create the most unique designs. Everything we hold true goes into our work.

When entrusted with the single-most important symbol of a union between two people—a ring—we believe every one should be as unique as the love it represents. It is no mere token. It is what shows the world the value of your bond. We take commitments seriously.

We value the people who love our work: connoisseurs, tastemakers, geek chic nerds, individuals who value more than status quo. We value our makers: modern alchemists, artisanal geniuses, master goldsmiths designing and crafting legendary treasures for people like you who demand the extraordinary. We make history every day.

We use our heads. We listen to our hearts. We make with our hands.

The Studio

At Chris Ploof Designs we are crafting a new tradition in jewelry. We don’t strive to be different. We just are.

With everything we make we have longevity in mind, not temporary fads or trends.

We use ancient techniques to create timeless designs.

We forge meteorite—truly out of this world! We fuse luscious color combinations of gold, palladium, and platinum to create the most sensual wood-grain patterns known to jewelry making—mokume gane. Most famously, we have evolved the strength and beauty of ancient sword-making metals to create our own proprietary formula of bio-compatible stainless steel Damascus. Within a quarter century our combined skills have made Chris Ploof Designs the leading industry supplier of Damascus steel and mokume gane for both raw materials and finished products.

Our jewelry is as unique as the person who wears it. With our wedding rings we believe every band calls for the finest craft to match the strength and uniqueness of the relationship it symbolizes.

Our expertise is knowing how to make jewelry that will last a lifetime and beyond. We use the best materials because our overarching goal is to deliver heirloom quality. All of our jewelry is handcrafted with its lifetime in mind so you and your family will enjoy our designs forever. That is legacy.

Meet Chris

Hailing from a small town in Massachusetts, award winning master jeweler Chris Ploof was once a skinny boy lurking around the local living history museum, watching awestruck as the craftspeople manipulated what had previously seemed unyielding: glass, tin, iron. All the while, his spirit was fusing itself to the use of heat and tools to ingeniously create utility and elegance.

 

After traveling the world trying hands-on careers that spoke to his historical influences and technical skills, Chris found himself back on his boyhood path, attempting to make a forge improvised by a 55 gallon drum, some fire bricks and a hair dryer. Eventually his knowledge seeking lead him to jewelry making classes. At last, he was home.

 

Chris has studied with many well-known artists, and apprenticed under a master goldsmith. He has an insatiable curiosity and drive that lead him down long roads even after the challenges at hand have been met. “Impossible is only a temporary condition,” he likes to say. “If my customer wants a Damascus bathtub, we will make it for them.” This intense drive is balanced with a wry, wonderful sense of humor that is one of his greatest assets when things don’t go as planned. “Sometimes my best discoveries come from my biggest mistakes,” he admits.

 

The Santa Fe Symposium has chosen Chris twice to receive the Industry Leader Award, his work is on the cover of Showcase 500 Rings: New Directions in Art Jewelry (Lark, 2012) and in countless other publications. Read more about Chris’s well-recognized Industry Research

 

His studio is located in Massachusetts, where he works with a carefully chosen, fun team of like-minded talent.

Chris Ploof working on a ring at the bench

The Process

Every piece begins with Chris, and every item he designs passes rigorous review by our skilled artisans. As a team, we make sure the design is beautiful and will stand the test of time.

 

Our engineer ensures the piece will be durable and can be constructed affordably. Our craftspeople make each design to the high-quality standards Chris demands. Our finishing expert brings out the beauty of the material allowing it to radiate from every angle. Our stone setter ensures that all stones are set to bring out the brilliance nature intended.

 

A quality inspection is the final step, just before the jewelry is shipped to you. In the end, your jewelry is crafted using as many as fifty steps per item. Some pieces take well over five hundred steps!

 

The team we have assembled at Chris Ploof Designs is comprised of the best of the best—true experts in the field of jewelry making.