Nestled in trendy Germantown is Timothy Stammen’s studio—a building that, outwardly, might blend in with any other neighborhood storefront.
But within those walls, creativity comes to life as Stammen pours hundreds of hours of meticulous work into pieces of jewelry that can only be described as works of art. Here, Stammen designs and creates unique high jewelry pieces, in addition to custom engagement rings, under his double-label brand Bezalel and House of Awr.
For as long as he can remember, Stammen had two loves growing up: basketball and jewelry.
“Whenever I got to build something with my hands rather than just drawing on paper that was something that I always enjoyed more. And when I first took that form in jewelry, I pretty much loved it immediately,” he says.
An unwavering desire to pursue both of his passions landed him at Savannah College of Art and Design, where he could continue playing basketball while learning from the best at one of the most prestigious jewelry design programs in the country. After a shuttered basketball program fully shifted his career aspirations to jewelry-making, Stammen began his career at Tiffany & Co. before going on to work with award-winning designer Zoltan David.
This intensive training greatly influenced his craftsmanship, but Stammen always dreamed of starting his own business. His Nashville shop is home to House of Awr, a custom engagement ring line; and Bezalel, high-end creative pieces that come straight from his imagination. Since his pieces are so customized, the space serves as a place for consultations upon appointment rather than walk-ins.
“A lot of times people will just specialize in design or they’ll just specialize in one part of making, and I just found that me doing all those parts of the piece, and not just one, was the only way that I could control the outcome of the design through the making and the quality of the craftsmanship,” he says. “It was very important for me.”
House of Awr offers a personalized process in which Stammen consults with couples, draws the concept of their dreams, handpicks ethically sourced stones, and makes every single piece by hand. Additionally, for couples looking to save time on the design process, House of Awr’s first bespoke engagement line—Lev—features four ring designs to choose from, each of which can be customized to fit any shape or color stone. And with more than half of his consultations happening remotely, Stammen provides a COVID-safe option for couples to find their dream ring.
“I would say a typical solitaire engagement ring that you buy at a normal jewelry store is going to have less than an hour of work in it. Whereas my most simple solitaire has 10 hours of work just in the making of it, and then you get to something more elaborate that’s all handmade and you’re getting into the 40- or 50-hour range,” Stammen says.
“It really is a whole different animal. All of the small differences are what make a difference in the end.”
In addition to bringing other people’s visions to fruition, Stammen creates high-end pieces straight from his own wildest dreams though Bezalel.
“I’m not making duplicates of my Bezalel pieces. They’re truly one of a kind, and if I am designing and making those pieces the way I see it in my head, they’ll be different enough that nobody else will have a piece like that,” says Stammen.
And for Stammen, the feeling of clients loving his pieces as much as he loves creating them is priceless.
“I don’t do this for making money, I do this because it’s my passion and what I truly love to do,” he says. “That excitement [people feel] owning something truly original, just like a painting that is hanging on the wall, where people are seeing it as art that’s just done with stones and metal instead of paint.”