The Callie Behind The Co.
Welcome, friends!
Have you ever loved something so much, it became an obsession? And no, not the creepy, borderline-stalking, kind of obsession, I mean in the passionate, live-for-it kinda way.
This is how I feel about traditional turquoise jewelry. And how I’ve found myself in a home studio curating gorgeous handmade and Native American works of art and sending them to you - so you can experience the joy (and slight obsession) with traditional turquoise jewelry, too.
My mission, as a third generation artist, is to design and curate expertly crafted, high-quality handmade and Native American jewelry that makes you feel like you’re part of something special. Each time you slip on your favorite Calli Co. item, you’re actually wearing a little piece of history. My hope is that my pieces will become the keepsakes and memories you’ll hold forever, to be woven into the fabric of your own heritage and passed down from your generation and beyond.
This is my history…
Where it all began
My love for traditionally handcrafted jewelry started as a little girl. Even though I was born in Texas, I spent much of my childhood in Southwestern Colorado where my grandfather owned a hotel. The hotel was North of the Navajo nation and when the Navajo traders would make their route through the U.S to sell their wares, they’d stay at the hotel and pay us in jewelry and handmade crafts. Being exposed to these incredible pieces at such a young age created a connection to Native American craftsmanship that has lasted my entire life.
I also grew up overlooking my uncle’s silversmith bench. If I was lucky, he’d let help with the last shine and scrub the grime and polish off of the finished jewelry pieces. As you can imagine, I felt like pretty hot stuff being involved in that process - further inspiring my obsession, though it didn’t manifest until many years later.
Despite my artistic family roots, I never learned to silversmith as a child. In fact, the opposite happened. I grew up, earned my degree from Oklahoma State, and spent a few years in banking followed by several years in operations management.
Then I had an idea. A pretty wacky idea. I was going to go to law school.
But first, I wanted to take 6 months off to spend with my 91-year-old grandmother (who lived with my husband and I) and study for my LSAT. As a hobby, I thought I’d silversmith. The desire to learn was always there, I’d just never had the time. Besides, I wanted to learn so I could make custom pieces for myself.
So I quit my job and, using antique tools that once belonged to my grandfather alongside a few borrowed from my husband’s welding truck, set up a bench in my garage and started smithing.
When I say smithing, I mean I burned a lot of things up at first, but I was hooked and completely obsessed. I jumped in with an acetylene torch and absolutely zero practical knowledge. Fortunately, I had an in house metalsmith who helped me understand heat, pressure, and, most importantly, how not to blow anything up. In those early days, every single piece Calli Co. sold was made by me in a corner of my garage.
That approach quickly became unsustainable, so I began curating work from other artists. Today, while I design many of our pieces, I rarely strike a torch.
Fast forward several years and Calli Co. Silver has exceeded all of my expectations. What began as a hobby quickly evolved into a business. My pieces have been worn on red carpets, magazine covers, music videos, television shows, and more
Lifelong obsessions have a funny way of leading you to where you’re supposed to be in life. I gave up an entire career to take a little leap, but now I can’t imagine doing anything else. This isn’t just a job for me, it’s my true passion.
But there’s a problem - silversmithing is a dying art.
It’s something that’s not taught anymore, families aren’t passing it down like they used to and unless you inherit your tools or trade, the opportunities to learn just don’t exist now.
Plus, it’s not glamorous work. Despite working with beautiful stones all day long, you’re working with flame torches, hazardous chemicals and gas. You get burned and you get dirty. For most kids of this generation, watching their parents or grandparents do this kind of work doesn’t appeal to them as a career or trade. Sadly, so many artists are dying before their children carry on the legacy.
That’s where you come in.
By buying from Calli Co., you’re keeping this traditional art and history alive.
And because I work with sterling silver and genuine stones, these one-of-a-kind pieces will last a lifetime. You can get married in them, celebrate major milestones in them, or spend any old day in them - that’s the beauty of Calli Co. Silver.
By elevating the art and the trade of this industry, I feel like I’m making a difference. And you are too.
So, what makes Calli Co. Silver different?
Because smithing runs in my family, I know precisely how pieces are constructed and I know what to look for. If it’s not impeccably-crafted, I won’t sell it to you - it’s as simple as that.
My knowledge of turquoise mines also gives me the ability to tell what’s legitimate and what’s not. I’m a stickler for quality with unmatched attention to detail, so you can trust my expertise and transparency when making your purchase.
I also don’t photoshop or filter my jewelry images because authenticity is really important to me. There’s nothing worse than receiving something you’ve spent your hard-earned money on, only to be disappointed that it looks nothing like the picture.
With Calli Co. Silver, what you see is what you get.
The Callie behind the Callison Company
Calli Co. Silver was founded out of pure love - my love for the stones, the craftsmanship and the rich heritage that exists in every fiber of these pieces. All Calli Co. pieces are handmade, each one unique and full of character.
Also, no piece can be exactly duplicated because the human hand can’t repeat things like a machine can - so consider yourself the proud owner of something distinct and timeless.
After several years of wearing every hat at Calli Co., we’ve grown into a brand supported by a small team of gals who love turquoise as much as I do and help keep things running smoothly.
When I’m not in the studio, which is rare, my husband and I are at home in Texas with our mini Aussie fur babies. I also have two amazing bonus daughters who have blessed me with the joy of the fun girl mom moments and watching them become who they are. Fingers crossed one of them falls in love with Calli Co. as much as I have and carries on the Callison Company story.
And in case you were wondering about my sweet grandmother, she is now several years older, still lives with us and is still managing a team. Crazy, right? She climbed the corporate ladder decades ago and paved the way for the ladies of my generation. Ever heard of the little Texas-based cosmetics company, Mary Kay? My sweet Meme has been with them since the very beginning (when they were selling cosmetics out of a 2-car garage in Dallas and Mary Kay her self was holding the sales meetings) and is still to this day, an Executive Senior Director. I owe everything I am to this sassy, little West Texan firecracker! She’s my best friend, heart & soul and the greatest role model I could ever ask for.
