The Symbolic Jewelry of Mark Defrates

SYMBOLS

Our largest section is really a Dictionary of Symbols. We design and make hundreds of magickal, spiritual and modern symbols, in sizes ranging from nickel size and smaller to silver dollar size and MUCH larger. You can browse through the symbols from A to Z or you can search for a particular symbol. Pictured here is an Aum in the center of a Lotus. We're always happy to make new symbols. If you want something you can't find, let us know. We love symbols. We are Sacred Jewelers!

	RINGS Any of the symbols we make can also be crafted into rings. We have a number of different ring styles including band style rings, split bands, signet rings, wedding and commitment rings, cocktail rings and custom rings. This ring is a custom magickal ring we call the Storm ring, designed in collaboration with out customer. Most of the rings we make are custom rings (which are never made again). We're famous for our wedding and commitment rings - an honor to be sure!

	CHAINS We make most of our chains from spooled chain so you can have them any length you want. This section contains our selection of chains we think go best with our designs. Of course, we can get almost any style of chain if there is something in particular you want.

	EARRINGS We do make earrings! In fact Mark loves making earrings and we can make just about any symbol into earrings. This section contains a selection of our earrings. However, a full selection would double the size of this website - so use your imagination! This image is of a pair of sterling silver and 14kt gold post dangle earrings, with a matched pair of AAA pear - shaped emeralds prong set in shallow concave domes. Spectacular!

	OTHER STYLES OF JEWELRY We make tie tacks, cuff links, stick pins, money clips, belt buckles, bracelets, anklets, baby spoons and bolos. If you can imagine it we can probably make it. We can make most of our designs any size. Pictured here is a 14kt gold cuff bracelet. Many of our symbols could be made into this style of bracelet.

	CUSTOM We specialize in often complex custom designs. If you have a design, we'll execute it. It's easier if you have a sketch, a picture, but if you can visualize and describe it we'll produce it. There's usually a small, or sometimes not so small, non-refundable design fee, for which you get a 3-D Drawing, a breakdown of the piece, and a quote. On your approval, we will create the piece(s). The full procedure for custom designs is here. If you're looking for a special piece we encourage you to read it! Pictured here is a one of a kind Tibetan double dorje 14kt gold and sterling silver with large cabochon emerald pendant.

GEMS

All right, we can't get you the Cullinan Diamond, pictured here. They're not likely to let us pry it from the British Royal Scepter, but we can get you most stones, either faceted or cabochon, at a far better price than you'd pay at a jewelry store. This section, as well as providing images of gemstones, also gives their chemical composition, hardness, and magickal and spiritual correspondences.

We are happy to set your stones too, either in one of our designs, or one that we develop with you.

WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE DO IT

Pamela Gene Daley and Mark Defrates specialize in custom, made by hand, magickal jewelry: metaphysical, spiritual, modern and religious symbols in argentium sterling silver and karat gold from the world's cultures, as well as the unique designs that our customers themselves draw or have us create. You could consider this website to be a Dictionary of Symbols. We also create contemporary symbol jewelry. We handcraft pendants, earrings, rings, pins, key chains, money clips, tie tacs and bars, cuff links and just about any other style you can imagine. We specialize in custom wedding bands and other rings. All our work is made to order. We do not keep stock. We do not cast. We do not use molds. We do not stamp the pieces out. Can you tell we get asked about this a lot? :) Every single piece is sawed out, soldered, and finished by hand one at a time. We cannot achieve the high quality we require any other way. You will LOVE your piece of jewelry! And it's guaranteed for life.

Our jewelry is made from argentium sterling silver or karat gold. Argentium sterling silver is a higher quality tarnish-resistant alloy of silver (93.5% pure as opposed to regular sterling's 92.5% purity). It is more lustrous, less prone to tarnish and stronger (we heat treat it for added strength) than sterling. We make yellow gold jewelry in 10kt, 14kt, and 18kt solid gold. We use palladium white gold in 14kt and 18kt, which is an alloy of gold that does not contain nickel, to which many people are allergic, and does not need electroplating for color, which most nickel content white gold requires. Palladum, an element in the platinum family, is a traded precious white metal and replaces nickel in palladium white gold alloys. On request we can work in 22kt or 24kt gold and in fine silver (pure silver) also.

Apparently there aren't very many jewelers left who will make affordable, high quality, truly handmade jewelry or will work with customers to create something unique. Consequently Mark is usually booked ahead between two to three weeks with ordinary orders and two months on custom orders. If you need to have a piece of jewelry faster we can usually cut that down to less than a couple of weeks (or, on occasion, even faster) for a rush fee. If you order without emailing us first please keep in mind that we do not maintain an inventory. Every piece we sell is made personally for each customer. Payment can be made for almost all the symbols in sterling silver or 14kt gold by using the "click to order" shopping cart button. If you'd like a gold piece in another karat or a silver piece made in karat gold that we don't show, just email us and we'll send you a quote and a clickable invoice. See the Order page for instructions on how to pay with a check or money order. Finally, if you'd like to know who we are, click the US button on the navigation bar you will find on every page. You can always call us at 386•423•1833 or 386•314•8048 but the best way is to email us.

For this rewrite (11/07) I'd like to thank those nameless wonders at Wikipedia (Google it) for the wonderful information they provided me and the hours of fun reading it in the middle of the night as I wrote, often cackling with joy!

Enjoy the site and

THANX FOR STOPPING BY! :)