Barking Dog 

Jewelry Design Studio

Reproduction belcher chain with a 1734 silver rider ducatoon from the T’Vliegenthart shipwreck (1735) in a hand made 14K bezel. The bench anvil shown dates to 1775. The hammer is from the Holocaust.

The art of traditional silver and gold work

As a specialist in hand forged and braided metal, I use a mixture of traditional silversmith, blacksmith, and goldsmith techniques and equipment to create historical wearable works of art. 

I am a native of North Carolina, trained in historical archaeology, with a subspecialty in metals. I am a trained jeweler and a self taught traditional silversmith. 


I do all the work by hand, one piece at a time, from initial design to final polishing - no mass production. From time to time I teach this work to apprentices who also help me at art and craft shows while I demonstrate my techniques. 

My knowledge base comes from period texts, paintings, etchings, and techniques which I’ve reverse engineered using methods learned in my training in archaeology and museum conservation and restoration. I spend hours in museums examining period paintings, etchings, prints, and sculptures attempting to tease out jewelry design and construction. 


Many of my patterns are based on archaeological research, published reports, texts, field notes, and interviews with curators at period archaeological sites. Two of my chain designs are based on artifacts recovered from period (1715) ship wrecks off the coast of Florida. The button designs are based on two period buttons (one pewter and one silver plated or gilded) excavated in Strasburg, Virginia.


As a result, I create some of the most accurate reproductions and examples of historic colonial style jewelry, especially with respect to my hand made chains, hand forging, weaving, repousse’, chasing, and embossing.  They are original designs - based on my interpretation of period examples.

Most of my tools date from the 18th and 19th centuries. The techniques date  predominately from the 16th to 19th centuries.


All of the work is done by me from initial design to final polishing. There is no mass production of designs or jewelry. No work is licensed for reproduction. No historic material was destroyed.

Special orders are always welcome, however  once an order has been placed, there is a $200 non-refundable charge that applies even if the project is cancelled. This fee covers the first model or design, gases, metals, labor, waxes, etc. used in its production. Redesigns or changes to the original design/order will require an additional $200 for each additional change and subsequent model.This fee or fees will be deducted from the final price. 

Thank you for understanding.              2019/2020

For more information, please contact:

Jeffrey and Marcia Jobe

Barking Dog Jewelry Design Studio

Thomasville, NC 27360

(336) 287-6067

barkingdog@triad.rr.com

All shipping is done using USPS priority mail, insured,with delivery and/or signature confirmation. This is due to problems we have experienced with both UPS and Fedex. All shipping costs for both cancelled and completed projects are borne by the customer.                               2020

Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express accepted with the exception of Bank of America debit and credit cards due to security issues. We apologize for any inconvenience.             2022