Please welcome our newest members!
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Liza Mahar
Oregon College of Art and Craft
Portland, OR. USA
jeweler / metalsmith and maker
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John A Hood
Scotia gems
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Canada
John and his brother Robert are the fourth generation Hoods in the
business. I was trained by my father Samuel Clifford Hood lapidarist
and jeweler. When young beginning in the late 50s he worked for
Acadia and Markland Gems as a lapidary technician. After serving in
the Royal Canadian Air Force I decided to teach. I completed teachers
college and a science degree at Dalhousie. I kept an interest in
agate jewelry throughout my career though only making items for my
family. When my father died I began to design and make silver jewelry
again. I am currently vice President of the Yarmouth Craft Guild, the
Canadian Metal Arts guild, and the MAG of Nova Scotia. I supply slabs
of Nova Scotia Agate to the gem cutting community as well as cabachon
and baroque finished stones to MAG members and the general public. I
have had jewelry displayed at the Fundy Geological Museum, MAG shows
at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (Halifax) and the Nova Scotia
Tourist Bureau in Yarmouth. I make a simple line of settings with
sterling and goldfilled wire (not wire wrap) and also scratch
assembled silver settings of sheet and wire stock. I pride myself on
making as much of my jewelry as possible completely original in
design. My greatest expertise is in the cutting of agate jewelry for
unique figure and maximum quality and finish. I plan on expanding to
casting, metal art clays and niobium jewelry in the future