Hello. My name is Mark Greenbaum.
MG DESIGNS is the name of my business I have been using since 1974. I started cutting gemstones and fabricating silver jewelry when taking classes at Cranbrook Institute of Science, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. I knew before taking classes I would like making jewelry, so I started to accumulate equipment and tools. Soon afterwards, I had a fully equipped shop and was making custom pieces for friends and acquaintances, and new customers. I also studied faceting, but in order to take the class I had to purchase my own equipment. I have cut and re-cut approximately 2000 gemstones.
I started to use CAD in 1982 as an Engineering Designer in TN. In 1994 I started an apprenticeship with a jeweler in Syracuse, NY to learn how to repair gold jewelry and set diamonds. I worked as a full time bench jeweler from 1994 to 2007.
A WORD ABOUT WOODTURNING:
I now offer Custom Woodturning for items such as Bowls, Lidded Boxed, Platters, and especially Pet Cremation Urns. The objects are made from locally harvested woods from trees either removed by the owners or fallen due to storms. I strive to utilize repurposed woods (such as finials made from cutoffs from cabinet makers, or from remnants from other sources}. I hand turn these objects, not CNC, so each piece is unique and different. Hand engraved plaques can me inlaid for memorials or urns. I will add pieces to the photo pages as they become available. Contact Me for more information.
A WORD ABOUT HAND ENGRAVING:
Hand engraving is done by hand, not using a pantograph machine, and each line is done by me under a microscope. Trophy shops or sign engravers use CNC or pantograph machines, and that is not hand engraving. I only engrave on metals (silver, gold, platinum, brass, copper, aluminum, steel, and stainless steel, etc), not glass, leather, plastic or wood.
In 2002 due to my jewelry background, I enrolled in hand engraving classes to embellish jewelry from Sam Alfano. I went home after a week of classes and practiced until I felt confident enough to start doing work for customers. But, I still longed to tie the CAD and jewelry designing when I had the opportunity in 2005 to design and manufacture jewelry using state-of-the-art 3D CAD, rendering and desktop 4-axis milling (CAM) to create master waxes. Using this CAD CAM I am able to design and present to the customer what a piece would look like prior to ever dedicating it to metal. Once approved, I tweak and perfect the 3D model, send the data through a machine code program, and use the 4-axis CNC mill to create the master wax. Then, I cast the jewelry using lost wax technique, finish the casting, set all of the gemstones, and also embellish with hand engraving. Start to finish by myself. Voila.
I can still offer any of these services to customers, and I do specialize in customer satisfaction foremost. Not a scratch on metal until it is approved. To this end, I sketch using computer programs, and present the customer with a rendering of what the object will look like. Calligraphic engraving must be approved for spelling or artwork prior to committing to metal. So please, check and re-check, as I will engrave what is approved. Thank you.
MG DESIGNS is the name of my business I have been using since 1974. I started cutting gemstones and fabricating silver jewelry when taking classes at Cranbrook Institute of Science, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. I knew before taking classes I would like making jewelry, so I started to accumulate equipment and tools. Soon afterwards, I had a fully equipped shop and was making custom pieces for friends and acquaintances, and new customers. I also studied faceting, but in order to take the class I had to purchase my own equipment. I have cut and re-cut approximately 2000 gemstones.
I started to use CAD in 1982 as an Engineering Designer in TN. In 1994 I started an apprenticeship with a jeweler in Syracuse, NY to learn how to repair gold jewelry and set diamonds. I worked as a full time bench jeweler from 1994 to 2007.
A WORD ABOUT WOODTURNING:
I now offer Custom Woodturning for items such as Bowls, Lidded Boxed, Platters, and especially Pet Cremation Urns. The objects are made from locally harvested woods from trees either removed by the owners or fallen due to storms. I strive to utilize repurposed woods (such as finials made from cutoffs from cabinet makers, or from remnants from other sources}. I hand turn these objects, not CNC, so each piece is unique and different. Hand engraved plaques can me inlaid for memorials or urns. I will add pieces to the photo pages as they become available. Contact Me for more information.
A WORD ABOUT HAND ENGRAVING:
Hand engraving is done by hand, not using a pantograph machine, and each line is done by me under a microscope. Trophy shops or sign engravers use CNC or pantograph machines, and that is not hand engraving. I only engrave on metals (silver, gold, platinum, brass, copper, aluminum, steel, and stainless steel, etc), not glass, leather, plastic or wood.
In 2002 due to my jewelry background, I enrolled in hand engraving classes to embellish jewelry from Sam Alfano. I went home after a week of classes and practiced until I felt confident enough to start doing work for customers. But, I still longed to tie the CAD and jewelry designing when I had the opportunity in 2005 to design and manufacture jewelry using state-of-the-art 3D CAD, rendering and desktop 4-axis milling (CAM) to create master waxes. Using this CAD CAM I am able to design and present to the customer what a piece would look like prior to ever dedicating it to metal. Once approved, I tweak and perfect the 3D model, send the data through a machine code program, and use the 4-axis CNC mill to create the master wax. Then, I cast the jewelry using lost wax technique, finish the casting, set all of the gemstones, and also embellish with hand engraving. Start to finish by myself. Voila.
I can still offer any of these services to customers, and I do specialize in customer satisfaction foremost. Not a scratch on metal until it is approved. To this end, I sketch using computer programs, and present the customer with a rendering of what the object will look like. Calligraphic engraving must be approved for spelling or artwork prior to committing to metal. So please, check and re-check, as I will engrave what is approved. Thank you.