By Jennifer Tan AKA Mrs Fett
Geekdome is only really defined by the unique apparel we wear to represent our side of the force. From graphic tee’s, Black Milk’s AMAZING leggings, and cosplay, the bar is pretty high when it comes to pop culture apparel quality. When I came across Paul Michael’s one-of-a-kind R2D2 engagement ring, I knew I had to talk to the man behind these gorgeous jewelry designs!
How did Paul Michael Design Begin? “Since I was born, I have always been making art and things. In the late 80s I entered college seeking a degree in graphic design. That being said, my college was not an early adopter. I saved my beer money and bought a new Mac and seats of the appropriate software and opened my first company. I needed more; I was still in college and needed that tangible connection to my work. 3D was it. However the technology for computer generated 3D will not be fully developed for another 10 years (dagnamit) so I dove into a hands-on tactile 3D jewelry program at my college. With the foundation set I began creating innovative and interesting jewelry for the mass consumer and bespoke clients. In 1999 I purchased my first seat of Rhino3D and began self-teaching myself how to use it. From there as the computing power increased so did the capabilities of 3d modeling. Today, Paul Michael design is still a small quirky design studio that focuses on crediting niche items and custom works for clients around the world. I am so blessed to have interesting customers who want me to do out of the box things. Innovation in creativity drives product ideas in my studio. We are always asking well, that’s cool, how can we do it better, make it cooler, more unique? By doing things this way we always seek different.”
What is your FAVORITE piece? “My favorite piece is my wife’s engagement ring. Always Will Be. It was the gateway piece for lifelong love. It will never be recreated and never matched.”
What is the future of Paul Michael Design? “Well that’s up to a lot of things. I will continue to do cool things, invest every dime I make into being better (and kids braces) . Our future plans are to expand our retail studio in Pittsburgh and massively increase our presence online. We just launched our etsy store (real small) and will continue to dominate the online custom jewelry market www.custommade.com.”
“Later this month I will be launching an Indegogo campaign to try to raise capital for expansion. I need new tech, people and more space. The future is so bright and exciting, thanks to people who like my stuff.”
Where can I get a Hunter Ring of my Own? “Right now everything is available on etsy at www.pmjewelry.com or one may call my studio and go bespoke on any item. We hope to continue creating different and interesting stuff for years to come. I am so grateful for the support my work has seen and the passion in my clients and future clients.”
