Steven Kretchmer

Steven Kretchmer

Steven Kretchmer is recognized as being the most visible innovator on the American jewelry scene today. Fascinated with metals since childhood, Kretchmer ‘s curiosity grew over the years into an insatiable need to know more – and to use his knowledge to further his craft. Kretchmer’s route to precious metal and jewelry design and technology followed an unusual path. Initially he tried fishing in Alaska, attended the Rhode Island School of Design, and the worked for a famous jeweler in

Italy

. He studied and mastered martial arts and earned black belts in three forms. Kretchmer later attended the University of Michigan and earned a master of fine arts degree in the metals program, where he was nicknamed the “mad scientist”. After his formal education, his genius and energy were hard to conceal. Today he holds numerous patents and is revered internationally for his innovations in the jewelry industry.

Kretchmer is best known for his patented tension setting – a technical marvel which holds a stone in place as if by magic.Kretchmer’s newest innovation, Polarium, brings a dimension of life to fine jewelry that has never been seen before. Polarium is a new platinum alloy with a polarized force field – similar to that found in magnets – that has the power to repel or attract metal. This allows for designs that attract – or float in space. While his wife and partner, Alma, runs the business, Steven plays alchemist, formulating new alloys and researching several directions in precious metallurgy at one time. Their laboratory and business in located in a renovated 1899 schoolhouse in upstate New York, where he does everything except for stone cutting – beginning with creating his own alloys. The man who has brought more new products to the market than any other individual working in jewelry today simply states, “You ain’t seen nothing yet."

McCaskill & Company is located on the beautiful Emerald Coast within the premier vacation resort area of Northwest Florida.

5½ hours to Atlanta
4½ hours to New Orleans
7 hours to Tampa.

The gallery is located at 13390 Highway 98 West, between Destin and Sandestin, just two miles east of the Mid-Bay Bridge.
Hours are 10:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Phone # 850-650-2262