Mark Davis is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts in integrating alternative materials into fine jewelry, elevating substances such as vintage Bakelite and rare woods to the level of precious metal through exacting craftsmanship. His mastery lies not only in aesthetic vision, but in the technical precision required to engineer unconventional materials seamlessly into heirloom-quality jewels.

Unconventional materials provide aesthetic advantages in terms of color, scale, contrast, visual lightness. This presentation will define “alternative metals” and cover the historical precedent for the use of unexpected materials in fine jewelry and decorative arts. Attendees will learn how to evaluate their durability, stability, and long-term suitability. The session will also cover fabrication strategies (carving, laminating, inlay, mechanical joinery), technical challenges and engineering considerations, how to leverage technology (CAD, CNC, 3-D printing, laser, prototyping) to expand material possibilities.

The session will also cover economic realities, including labor, yield, pricing, and perceived value; positioning and marketing jewelry made with non-traditional materials; educating clients and overcoming resistance to unfamiliar materials; maintaining luxury standards while using unconventional substances, and identifying when alternative materials enhance a design and when they do not. In addition to video and photo examples of pieces made with alternative materials, Mark will have an assortment of actual pieces produced by his workshop to examine in person. He will also be available to answer attendee questions regarding the use of unexpected materials and marketing the pieces.

About Mark Davis

Born in Manhattan and raised in Malaysia, Mark has always been preoccupied with objects—how they are made, how they function, and how they could be made better. An aesthete with a stubborn streak, he was famously expelled from the International School of Kuala Lumpur for refusing to wear a uniform he deemed ugly. He returned to New York to study at Parsons School of Design, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and New York University, where his interest in form quickly evolved into an obsession with fabrication and process.

An internship in Christie’s jewelry department, followed by a position with a prominent Manhattan estate jeweler, gave Mark rare access to extraordinary and historic jewels. Handling exceptional pieces daily sharpened his understanding of proportion, engineering, and the rigor of fine craftsmanship. He learned that great jewelry is not merely designed—it is constructed with precision and intent.

In 1999, Mark began designing and fabricating his own line. From the outset, he approached jewelry as an industrial and artistic problem to solve. He experimented with novel and often untraditional materials—vintage Bakelite, salvaged components, rare woods—pairing them unapologetically with gold, platinum, and precious gemstones. The fashion press quickly took notice. Within months, his work appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, W, and ELLE, and by year’s end his pieces were carried by Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys New York.

Convinced that production methods are as critical as aesthetic vision, Mark built a fully integrated, in-house fabrication facility. There, under his direct supervision, a team of skilled artisans executes his designs using specialized techniques developed specifically for his materials. Working with Bakelite, in particular, requires a machinist’s discipline and a jeweler’s finesse: it cannot be melted or cast, only cut, laminated, carved, and engineered into form. Mark treats these unconventional materials with the same reverence traditionally reserved for precious metal.

After two decades of manufacturing in New York City, Mark relocated his operation in 2019 to a purpose-built facility in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Designed to his exact specifications, the workshop allows for complete control over fabrication, experimentation, and production refinement. It is here that each piece is conceived, engineered, assembled, and finished—often after multiple iterations—before leaving the bench.

Long a fixture in Barneys New York’s jewelry department until its closing in 2019, Mark has since chosen to focus on select, specialized retailers and direct relationships with collectors who appreciate the technical rigor behind his work. His jewelry is not simply designed; it is engineered, fabricated, and produced with an uncompromising commitment to material innovation and manufacturing excellence.