Jeff High - Jewelry Innovator and Great Guy

It has taken me a couple weeks to process the death of Jeff High, one of the most brilliant people that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I cannot claim to have been best buds with Jeff, but I can and will claim that he had a profound influence on my jewelry career in many ways. On top of that, he was easy to talk to and an inspiration.

In November of 1999, I met Jeff when I attended a 3-4 day training session at the original home of his company, GemVision, when it was located in Davenport, Iowa. Jeff started the company in 1990. I went with two other people from my first job in jewelry to learn all about Computer Aided Design (CAD), back when CAD/CAM jewelry production was something new and exciting. Holy smokes did we learn about jewelry manufacturing from Jeff and his team in Davenport. My instructor was Steve Brethauer, more about Steve in a moment. I earned my GIA Diamonds Graduate papers in 1998, so it was perfect that Jeff and his crew provided the next GIANT step in my grasp of the jewelry business.

Jeff and GemVision were there to guide us newbies into the new realities of CAD/CAM jewelry making. At the same time Jeff provided exposure to a wonderful counterpoint, because he and his wife owned a jewelry store close to GemVision that was run by a gentleman from England (IIRC) who made jewelry the original way by hand fabrication. Even with only a couple of years in the business at that point, my little brain was overwhelmed by a man who was on the bleeding edge of forward progress who at the same time promoted the totally old school method of hand made jewelry.

At one point in our training Jeff took us around the facility. He showed how GemVision cameras were assembled and the software team he headed that was making GemVision grown in leaps and bounds. He also showed us how he was playing around with a method to make a bracelet from steel that made the steel almost impossible to bend. I do not remember the technique, but I remember remarking how COOL it was. (I am not a quiet person. :-) ) I talked about the "cool" bracelet Jeff showed us several times while attending their school.

Steve Brethauer was the perfect teacher for me. He had the right mix of humor and knowledge. I was so impressed that I actually wrote him a humorous poem with "Brothers from different mothers" involved. The only reason I mention the short poem was because I learned later that Jeff had it framed and it was on the wall in Davenport. 

More importantly, Jeff gave ME a gift right before I left. I had been flapping my lips about his "cool steel bracelet" during school. Well, he gave me one along with my diploma. I wore it regularly from day one and then my goldsmith friend Kevin Joseph, who attended the class with me since we both worked for First Class Jewelry, took my old wedding ring and dressed up the bracelet with the gold wire he made from it.

Fast forward to 2002 when Julie and I opened Chimera Design in Lowell. One of our first purchases was the GemVision Digital Goldsmith software and the cool camera that came with it. I believe we bought it on installments.  

Julie and I attended a Bridge Event at Stuller in 2015. (Another life changing two day event.) It was so super that by that time Jeff had moved GemVision to Lafayette, LA to be a part of Stuller's wonderful team. It was a treat to see him there and to see him at trade shows a few times before his recent passing. Cancer is a robber and thief. My condolences go out to Jeff's family and the family this talented guy created in the jewelry industry, both at Stuller and beyond. What a wonderful impact he had on our business and how perfect that he ended up as a member of the Stuller family. 

My Jeff High bracelet gets worn on a regular basis and it has always served as a touchstone to a man that had such an impact on my life in jewelry. Thank you very much Jeff. Your impact on my life is not easy to express, but I think you know exactly what I mean.