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Andrew Nyce knows metals. Trained as a Metallurgist and Materials scientist, Andrew carried out research and development on high-performance metals and ceramics for 43 years. In 2002, he formed Andrew Nyce Designs and embarked on a new career that married his passion for metals with his interest in jewelry-making and metalsmithing.
Andrew Nyce Designs crafts unique, custom-designed wedding, commitment, engagement, and men’s rings in Mokume Gane and Damascus Stainless Steel.
It was natural for Andrew to gravitate toward these unusual and complex materials.
"I am intrigued by the history and beauty of Mokume Gane and Damascus Stainless Steel. Each of these materials has beauty in their patterns, colors and the play of shadow and light that speaks to me and motivates me each day. No two pieces of jewelry are ever exactly the same."
At Andrew Nyce Designs, the joining of different metal alloys to create Mokume Gane or Damascus Stainless Steel is a metaphor for the union of two individuals who journey along a shared path in life.
Our team:
Andrew Nyce : Goldsmith and Founder
Gary Roe : Goldsmith |
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Andrew’s career as a goldsmith and jewelry designer did not follow a traditional path. For most of his professional career, Andrew worked with exotic materials in the realm of science and engineering.
Andrew holds B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Metallurgy and Materials Science. And he founded and managed a highly successful advanced materials consulting R&D firm. Through the years, he occasionally created art and jewelry from these high-tech materials.
In the mid-1990's, Andrew considered taking formal jewelry-making courses. But, the demands of running his firm prevented him from pursuing this interest. At the start of the new millennium, two years before selling his business, Andrew made the leap and began taking jewelry-making classes at the Maine College of Art.
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"I liked the feelings of peace and satisfaction that came over me when I completed a piece of jewelry."
Upon selling his company in 2002, Andrew pushed headlong into jewelry-making with the same dedicated approach that he brought to his former career. In the jewelry studio, Andrew found that he was able to balance his artistic side with his scientific side.
"To me, metalsmithing is more than just the technique of working metals into a desired shape. It is the skillful blending of art and science to create a lasting symbol of one person’s love for another."
Along with additional coursework at the Maine College of Art, Andrew has immersed himself in carefully selected intensive jewelry workshops that focus on design and technique. He also has undertaken hundreds of hours of private lessons with master goldsmiths and teachers including Tim McCreight, Pauline Warg, Jean Paterak, Ann Hollerbach, Paulette Werger, Blaine Lewis, Kate Wolf, Phil Piorier, Steve Midgett, and James Binnion. |
Andrew at work in the studio
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Adhering to a motto of continuous learning and scientific discovery, Andrew has embarked on several collaborative research projects designed to advance the state of the art of jewelry-making for practicing jewelers. These projects have provided Andrew with knowledge and experience that make him a better goldsmith.
Along with his co-authors, Andrew was presented with a collaborative research award from the Santa Fe Symposium on jewelry manufacturing technology in both 2005 and 2007. |
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Other highlights of Andrew’s distinguished professional career include:
- Five US and Foreign patents
- Published over 200 reports and articles
- Designed commercial scientific equipment
- Co-founder of a scientific equipment company
- Co-founder of WebMagnetics, an Internet company
- Visiting Assistant Professor - University of Maryland
- Centennial Fellow of Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
- Amos Tuck executive training program - Dartmouth College
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Andrew is a member of the Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America.
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Gary brings 14 years experience as a goldsmith to Andrew Nyce Designs. He owns his own company, Jewelry Trade Technical Services, where he specializes in high-end jewelry fabrication and stone setting. Gary’s expertise also includes prototyping of custom jewelry from concept to finished piece, wax carving, casting, laser welding, and CAD rendering.
Gary graduated with a BFA (summa cum laude) in Jewelry and Metals from Maine College of Art in 1994. Gary had started out with the intent of pursuing a degree in Graphic Design. But, after taking an elective jewelry and metals class, he was hooked.
"I knew emphatically that this was my destiny. I had developed such a passion and excitement for the whole process; I knew this was what I was meant to do. I would get excited about the technical challenge of working with my hands and tools to create a unique object. The actual fabrication was just as exciting to me as the end result." |
Gary at work in the studio |
Gary's first job out of school was working for Brown Goldsmiths, one of the top custom jewelry makers in the Northeast. He became their master wax carver. After 2 years, Gary moved on to Folia, a high-end jewelry gallery in Portland, Maine, as their master jeweler. At Folia, Gary gained a reputation among the jewelers and artists as the technician who could solve complex fabrication issues and produce a piece of jewelry that met their expectations for the piece.
In 2003, Gary founded Jewelry Trade Technical Services in order to become a technician to the jewelry trade specializing in jewelry fabrication and stone setting. Gary uses some of the most technologically advanced equipment available for jewelry fabrication.
"I enjoy being challenged in the technical aspect of fabricating jewelry. The creative challenge of solving a fabrication issue motivates and excites me." |
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