Chris is the sole proprietor of Not All That Glitters. For over 20 years, he worked in fraud investigation in the IT field — a career built on curiosity, pattern recognition, and following rabbit holes.

That same curiosity led him to jewelrymaking after a friend gave him a gift card to a craft school for an intro class of his choice. After choosing jewelrymaking, what began as a hobby quickly became a passion.

To stretch his materials budget, Chris started buying estate jewelry lots at auction, melting down sterling silver to refine and use in his own work. In the process, he discovered an unexpected appreciation for vintage costume jewelry — the pieces he was sifting through before melting. In researching the many different pieces, he discovered a field rich in history, value, and artistic appreciation.

Over time, Chris developed a deep understanding of both precious metals and overlooked vintage designs. His background in investigation and his hands-on experience in metallurgy and jewelrycrafting allow him to quickly assess value, separating mass-produced costume pieces from those worth saving, restoring, or reselling.

In time, he came to appreciate that not all that glitters is gold — some of the most fascinating finds were made of humble materials, rich in history and craft.