About Us

Jim and I launched Southwest Designs in 2008 while spending time in Las Cruces, NM.  New Mexico is famous for its striking Native American Jewelry and Art, so we did not lack for inspiration. But we determined to make Southwest Designs Jewelry our own — high-end custom pieces that respected the best of the Jewelry we'd admired but forged from our own distinct vision. Our goal was to create bold, eye-catching, yet approachable designs showcasing Sterling Silver and an extensive array of semiprecious stones. These designs would include the many remarkable types of Turquoise mined in the Western U.S.

    Kingman Turquoise and Sterling Silver Pendant with 3 Strands of Egyptian Turquoise and Sterling

Jim dedicated himself to mastering the arts of soldering and lapidary, and was soon rendering striking combinations of Sterling and Copper, integrated with hand-cut rocks. His repertoire includes Pendants, Rings, Earrings and metal & gemstone Necklaces, each unique. In addition to Turquoise he works with Coral, Jade, Jasper, Quartz and Agate, and rare finds like Peanut Wood, Pyritized Ammonite, Dinosaur Bone and Sonora Sunset. So many great options! Each new stone or material has a story to tell — and we wanted to share it.

 

I focused on business operations and on Jewelry design, including the creation of Necklaces, Bracelets and Earrings. I integrate Jim's handcrafted Pendants and Beads into my designs, taking our Jewelry up a notch. It's an unforeseen collaboration that yields unexpected results. Each piece of Southwest Designs Jewelry is one-of-a-kind — a standalone creation that will not be replicated. Inimitable.

We are now in our 16th year of business and Southwest Designs remains vital in our lives. We were hooked from Day 1 and there was no turning back. As our interest grew we began dropping terms like Royston, Rockhound, dapping and 20 gauge. We set up a website, carved out a (now extensive) workshop, and began the unrelenting process of acquiring essential tools. We took to the road to source materials and to showcase our Jewelry at prominent Art Shows across the country. It has been a challenging yet greatly rewarding learning experience.

We make one-of-a-kind, over the top Jewelry. Jewelry that not only displays exceptional workmanship, but that also evokes delight. Jewelry that stands out in a crowd.

52mm Sonora Sunset, Sterling and Copper with Italian Coral & Sterling   Peanut Wood & Sterling Silver with Vintage Black Amber Coin Beads

We are committed to a process that demands:

  • Employing beautiful and high quality gemstones and precious metals
  • Creating one-of-a-kind pieces that deliver high visual and emotional impact
  • Handcrafting our Jewelry using meticulous design techniques
  • Pushing the envelope to continually create distinctive and original designs
  • Offering our customers exceptional value

We have personally designed and handcrafted over 1,400 unique pieces of Jewelry, employing Sterling and Copper and over 140 discrete types of semi-precious stones, corals, horn beads, trade beads, antique ceramics and specialized glass.

This amazing diversity of materials – and our passion for the work that we do – assures us that we will be creating custom Jewelry for many more years to come.

The Southwest Designs Collections reflect our vision for uncompromising, handcrafted Jewelry. We hope you'll share it.

Lisa Daggett, Principal & Designer     
Jim Daggett, Silversmith & Lapidarian

Please Contact Us for more information

 Hiking - Genoa, NV

Lisa & Jim Daggett — Hiking, Genoa, NV


     

    In addition to this website you can view Southwest Designs Jewelry online at the following sites:
    Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/JewelrySWD/
    Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/SouthwestJewelry
    Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SouthwestDesignsNV

     Lisa and Jim Daggett -- Climbing Jobs Peak, Sierra Nevada

    Climbing Jobs Peak, Sierra Nevada