Every stone has a story.

I grew up in Hubei, China, where some of my happiest childhood memories were spent picking up stones along mountain paths and riverbeds. Even as a child, I loved turning each one over in my hands, wondering why no two were ever the same.

Life eventually took me from China to Canada and then to the United States, but I found myself returning to the turquoise of Zhushan, Hubei—a region long recognized as one of China's finest sources of natural turquoise. Being connected to its place of origin has given me the opportunity to learn from the material itself and to select stones with care.

Today, I personally choose every turquoise cabochon Oakwell offers. Rather than chasing flawless appearance, I look for stones with genuine character: beautiful natural color, expressive matrix, balanced proportions, and the individuality that makes each piece impossible to duplicate.

For me, trust is just as important as beauty. Whenever reliable laboratory documentation is available, I include it with the stone. When it is not, I describe each cabochon as accurately as possible based on the information available to me and clearly explain the limits of what I can verify. I would rather be transparent than make claims I cannot support.

Oakwell Turquoise was created for collectors, custom jewelers, studio silversmiths, and designers who appreciate natural turquoise in its own right. Every cabochon is individually photographed, described, carefully inspected, and shipped from my New Jersey studio.

My hope is simple: that every stone finds the right maker before it becomes something beautiful.