David Forshee: Opals, Small Spaces, & the Beauty of Figuring It Out

David Forshee is the jewelry and lapidary artist behind David Forshee Jewelry.In this episode, David and I talk about the early years of learning a craft and the many small decisions, experiments, tools, and mistakes that slowly shape a maker’s path. David works with mixed metals, opals, and gemstones, and much of his work begins with the stone itself.David shares how jewelry making first found him after he and his wife began looking for a handmade engagement ring, and how that experience opened his eyes to the beauty and presence of handmade jewelry. From there, he started with a simple torch and a few basic tools, learning to set rose-cut stones and slowly building his skills one piece at a time.We talk about working in a small garage studio, the reality of making jewelry without a large or perfect workspace, and the way tools slowly enter our lives as the work asks for them. David shares what led him into lapidary, from adjusting wonky cabochons to cutting opals, and we talk about the heartbreak and wonder that can come with working such delicate, beautiful stones.Our conversation also moves into family, memory, and the tools we inherit. David shares how some of the tools he uses came from his father and grandfather, and how making has become a way of carrying those connections forward. We also talk about the fullness of family life, raising a young child, and finding creative time in the in-between moments.This is a warm conversation about learning as you go, making do with the space you have, honoring the slow parts of the process, and allowing the craft to keep opening new doors.Follow David...David on Instagram: ⁠@davidforsheejewelry⁠David’s Website: ⁠davidforsheejewelry.com⁠Love the Podcast?Support an episode: ⁠⁠Click here to learn more!⁠⁠Without your support I couldn’t continue the Slowmade Podcast. Thank you so much!Follow Christine and Slowmade...Instagram: ⁠⁠@christinemighion⁠⁠Jewelry Website: ⁠⁠christinemighion.com⁠⁠Slowmade: ⁠⁠slowmadepodcast.com