CLASSICAL ARTIST: Former Naples Philharmonic musician Mo Anderson creates custom jewelry for private clients, companies.
Music used to be his art. Now, it’s jewelry. Mo Anderson first came to Naples to play tuba with the Naples Philharmonic. Post-musical performance, his life is now at his shop and showroom Anderson Goldsmiths. He’s made a niche creating custom jewelry for private clients in addition to doing work for larger companies such as Tiffany & Co. and De Beers.
Anderson grew up in the Boston area, making beaded jewelry and selling it to neighbors. While he went to school for music, he took on side jobs with jewelers. He came down to Naples to play for the philharmonic in 1990 and continued with the side business locally. After retiring from music due to a lip condition that made playing difficult, his side job evolved into a full-time business.
He’s worked with internationally known jewelers and is an approved vendor for Tiffany & Co., but he’s demurred at the prospect of mass-producing products, preferring to stick to custom work. That’s brought some interesting requests, such as the numerous clients who come in with a container of ashes of departed loved ones and want a pendant made to enclose them. Among his recent creations: A pair of eyeglasses with cobalt blue glass for lenses, and a wedding ring cast with images of fish and alligators. “I like the challenge,” he says. “I could do more, but I prefer not to. It’s too repetitive.”
It typically takes 3-6 weeks for a custom piece. Each project starts with a CAD (computer-assisted design) image for client approval before he crafts the piece in his workshop. Anderson compares his process to a classical musician studying a piece of music for the first time, employing an eye for detail and precision. “I like to think I’m the go-to guy for quality and uniqueness,” he says. “You’re not going to buy something that you’ll find on someone else’s finger.”
For more information, visit andersongoldsmiths.com.
