gold nugget necklace

This gold mine in Alaska is where Jake spent many summers digging for gold.  Check out the gold nugget section to buy a natural gold nugget found by Jake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gold nugget necklace
3 turquoise pendants

Abandoned copper mine, Nevada

 

 

 

 

3 turquoise pendants

Jake Creates Unique Handmade Jewelry

 

 

                                                                                               Denali National Park in the fall

 

 

 

Each piece of jewelry is made by hand.  Each stone is cut and polished from a raw stone by Jake and Jake makes every setting himself from sterling silver and/or copper.  Read the description provided for the piece that explains the stone's origin and discovery and the crafting of the setting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

malachite gemstone

Jake hard at work turning a raw stone into a gemstone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

malachite gemstone

Jake's Jewelry Originates From His Gold Mining Days In Alaska, Making Discoveries He Now Shares In Each Piece

In driving from Florida to Ohio to Alaska, Jake made gemstone discoveries he uses in creating his pieces of unique jewelry.

 

Mine Tailings

Emerald Mine

 

 

North Carolina

Raw Emerald

The Story Behind Gems by Jake

jake

What's the difference between Gems by Jake and other jewelers?  Some jewelers buy finished stones and then make a setting for them.  Other jewelers buy the stones and the settings, put them together and sell them as their own.  Many just buy finished pieces and they're just the salesman.  Very few jewelers actually do the lapidary work (lapidary is the cutting and polishing of raw stones) on the stones AND create the settings for each stone.  And, almost no jewelers go out and find the raw stones, turn that raw stone into a finished stone and create the setting for the stone.  

Many of the gems in Jake's collection were found by Jake himself during his annual rockhounding trip, covering several states and parts of Canada.  Jake visits abandoned mines and public lands, as well as working mines that allow the public to search their tailings to find the stones he uses in his jewelry.  Of course, there are a lot of stones that are from other parts of the world, and Jake has to buy some of these to add variety to his collection.  But Jake always buys the raw material and creates the gemstone himself. He never buys a finished stone, and he strives to create unique, free-form and unusual pieces that are not "run of the mill" type of jewelry, that feature the natural characteristics of the stone.

Jake (Dan Jacobson) worked for many years as a lawyer, but got tired of the practice of law and wanted to do something new and different.  About ten years ago he went to Alaska on vacation and spent some time prospecting for gold.  Being in Alaska, in the wilderness and digging for gold, was something that was special and exciting, and definitely different!  When he was offered an opportunity to buy into a gold mine, he took it.  So, every year Jake would drive to Alaska to mine for gold, stopping along the way to look for gemstones - emeralds in N. Carolina, fire agate in Arizona, turquoise in Nevada, fire opals in Idaho, jade in British Columbia, amethyst in Ontario to name a few.  Then, he thought how much fun it would be to turn these raw stones into jewelry, so he learned the lapidary and metal working arts, and began to create his own handmade jewelry.  Jake takes care to ensure that his jewelry has a rugged, natural look.   Take a look and you'll see why Gems by Jake is different from all the rest.   And, check out the gold nugget section too, all found by Jake himself in Alaska!

One-of-a-Kind Jewelry, Especially Designed & Custom-Made for YOU

Jake can work with you in selecting one of his stones and making it a special one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry, especially designed & custom-made for you.

Testimonials

IMG_7644

Search For Products

Contact Us

Dan Jacobson

bigjake@bigjakesgold.com

561-391-5480