Andrew Savas
Savas Designers & Jewelers
Spooner, WI

He owns Savas Designers & Jewelers with his wife Pamela. Andrew first fell in love with jewelry at age 10 when his grandmother gave him a pair of 14K gold cuff links from Greece, which he first proudly wore with a tux to a family wedding. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 1996 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and soon after opened his own studio. Pamela, a trained potter, soon joined him in the jewelry business. She says that while her tools and materials have changed, her passion still lies in creating beautiful work that fits seamlessly into people’s lives.

DAY OFF ITINERARIES. I like being outdoors, hiking, biking, camping, canoeing, or kayaking. I also like spending a whole day at an art museum with my family or spending time at the library, where I can go through the art section and pick out books, especially on jewelry making.

BEYOND THE BENCH. You’ve got to have an imagination to visualize my pencil sketches into a piece of jewelry! So, when I first got into CAD (as a bench guy), I thought of it as a communication tool so my clients could understand and visualize the project. They’re excited to see the rendering and the gem colors.

CUSTOM BY APPOINTMENT. We take our time and listen to the client’s thoughts, stories, and ideas. We really get to know each other during that initial appointment.

ROOM WITH A VIEW. We’re in northern Wisconsin in the woods, with an inviting, calming view. There’s a crabapple tree in front of our window. White-tailed deer and a variety of wildlife come to this tree. During a consultation, we will all just stop and look out the window.

Online Extra: Q&A with Andrew Savas

What first appealed to you about jewelry?

My first memorable encounter with jewelry was at the age of 10, when my Yiayia gave me a pair of 14K gold cuff links from Greece. I cherished them despite not owning a cuff link shirt. I thought they were the coolest thing ever. I kept them on my dresser and looked at them a lot. I got to wear them as a kid at a family wedding. And then I just added to my collection.

Pamela was trained as a potter; why did she make the move to jewelry?

Two artists trying to make a go of a business and raise a family at the same time is quite the juggling act, and the jewelry that I was making and repairing was consistent year-round, whereas pottery was much more seasonal. And with bringing up a family we decided to put more time into the jewelry business.

Her role in the business is being one of the top designers in this firm. And working with clients. All the different hats that a business owner wears, she can do it. Listening to clients, interpreting what they can visualize in their heads on paper, she can do it. If they don’t respond to that initial design, she can come up with another one. She does the bulk of admin work, too. We consult on designing, construction and engineering of the design. She can do repair work, use the laser welder, polish, and tighten stones. She has her own bench.

Did you move your business location recently?

The new location is in northern Wisconsin, in the woods, with a lot of forest, lakes, and farmland. It has a much more inviting, calming view. The view out of this space is calm, lovely, and full of nature. We have white-tailed deer come up to the window. There’s a crab apple tree in front of our window. We have such a variety of wildlife that comes to this tree. During a consultation, we will all, including the clients, just stop and look out the window.

You’re open just three days a week?

It’s mainly appointments only. It’s just my wife and I. It works well for custom one of a kind. We take our time, listen to all of their stories, thoughts and ideas. We really get to know each other in that initial appointment.

What is your most memorable type of customer?

I’ve worked with many engineers. I was working remotely with an electrical engineer using CAD. They were 800 miles away seeing what was on my screen. He said, `Andrew, it’s looking good, but can you move that shape over half a millimeter?’ I said, OK, how’s that? He said, “No, move it back.”

How do you use CAD in your business?

When I first got into CAD, I thought of it as a communication tool not as a building tool. And that was easier for me to think of it that way. Because I’m a bench guy. I like my hand tools. And CAD, if I took it as a building fabrication experience, I would have been intimidated, and would have struggled with it. You’ve really got to have an imagination to visualize my pencil sketches into a piece of jewelry! So, when I first got into CAD, I thought of it as a communication tool so my clients could understand and visualize the project. They’re excited to see the rendering and the gem colors.

What do you like about 3D printing?

When I embraced that, it was a game changer. As a creative artist, I can see how the CAD translates into an object, and you can put it on your hand, see the scale, and ship it to any part of the world. And if I ship that off and the client and I are having conversations on the phone, they’ll say, `Do you need this back?’ And I’ll say, ‘ No, you can keep it.’

What percentage of your business is wedding and engagement?

I’d say right around that halfway mark. The other half would be remake; people bring in their grandma’s or dad’s jewelry, and we make it into something new. We’ve been getting anniversaries a lot. They want to take their wedding set, add to it, and remake it.

How do you accommodate clients’ ideas into your work?

We have an aesthetic that we feel very confident about executing and sometimes clients come in saying, `What should we make?” or “Can you guys make something like this sort of stuff?” Our comment is that we don’t follow a lot of trends, and we’re willing to find a design that pleases the customer the most. What are we really good at? We’re really good at bringing out what the customer enjoys and adding in our own aesthetic.

Is word of mouth your primary mode of advertising?

Yes, and it’s not just local clientele. A portion of our clients are vacationers, A portion is vacationers, people with vacation homes or rental homes. They find us, we make something, and word spreads around.