Chris Tullar: Introduction
Chris likes to think about the relationship between wearer and his jewelry. He thinks of jewelry as sculpture that relates to the human body in intimate ways. He uses advanced techniques to accomplish subtle finishes on gold, platinum and silver. His jewelry glimmers with flashes of reflected light; his forte is the play of light across texture and form.
This is a bold move for a jeweler; few take the time to individually craft settings, let alone finishes, with as much thought. This pursuit of absolute craftsmanship is what makes him at home at Designer Gold jewelry, where only artisanal jewelry of the highest caliber is celebrated. Chris’s preference for stones with something unusual about their color, shape, or origin leads to jewelry both strikingly novel and familiar. His 18 karat yellow gold and antique seal bead Bolo Tie, for instance, reveals a fresh approach to setting an unusual stone. By pairing complex metal texture with the ancient carving, the color of the metal complements the bead—they play off each other.
Chris returned to Designer Gold after leaving to earn an M.F.A. in metalsmithing from Montana State University, Bozeman. There he perfected skills for creating jewelry, sculpture, and lapidary (stonecutting). His look is modern, with a slight edge. His trademark look makes his pieces glow like candles.