The Jewelry Archaeologist
Through years of painstaking and often fruitless detective work, Hugo Kohl rescued an era of early American jewelry manufacturing technology that was on the brink of extinction.
Dear Friends,
Many artisans dream of building a craft-based business that not only supports them financially but stays true to their values and purpose. In today’s feature story, you’ll meet Hugo Kohl, a goldsmith who has done just that.
Kohl was on vacation in Virginia when, by a twist of fate, he found himself rescuing a large, dusty collection of vintage machinery and jewelry parts that were destined for the landfill. Through hard work and perseverance, he transformed this truckload of spare parts into a successful boutique—and today, in addition to his shop, he operates the only fully equipped, working jewelry museum in the U.S.
“This started haphazardly,” Kohl says. “But when I look back from right now, I can see there was a natural progression from infancy that takes me to this very moment.”
We hope you’ll enjoy reading “The Jewelry Archaeologist,” written by Alison Main. Throughout the month of June, we’ll be bringing you more stories and interviews about building a craft-based, values-based—business, among other topics. So please stay tuned!
Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for supporting our work with a paid subscription if you can, and for being part of the Craftsmanship community. We couldn’t do this without you.
Sincerely,
The Craftsmanship Team
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