Hi, I'm Dawson.

I was 14 when a family friend showed me a wire-wrapped copper pendant he'd made. I'd never thought about jewelry as something a person could just make with their hands, and I was hooked. I spent the next year teaching myself, twisting wire and stringing beads into designs, and getting a little better with each one.

At 15, I took my work to my first farmers market. That's where I met the wife of a master silversmith, and she introduced me to Ross Morrow. Ross had been classically trained in England, and he took me on as his apprentice. I spent two years learning silversmithing from him, and the patience, precision, and respect for the metal he taught me still guide how I work today.

The piece I was proudest of from those years was a bullet signet ring I made at his bench. A couple of years later, I lost it in the forest. I still think about that ring.

Then I turned 18, went off to college, and got distracted by everything else. Jewelry took a back seat, and eventually I stopped altogether.

About two years ago, I started experimenting with designs again, and it didn't stay casual for long. The pull was stronger than I remembered, so I decided to do it properly: I invested in the right tools and put in the time to relearn and sharpen my skills. One of the first things I made was a new bullet signet ring.

What pushed me to start DMB Jewelry was frustration. I was tired of seeing cheap, mass-produced pieces made with no attention to detail. Jewelry is something people wear every day, and it should be made with care. Every piece I make is crafted by hand in sterling silver, and I don't send anything out that I wouldn't wear myself.