Frequently Asked Questions

The gold and the making

What is the difference between 22k and 18k gold?

22k gold is 91.7 percent pure gold. 18k gold is 75 percent pure gold, alloyed with more of the metals that add hardness. The 22k is richer in color and more ductile. The 18k is harder, so we use it where a piece needs strength. In our Big Sur Classic rings the two are often combined, and the bezel is always 22k. Our stones are almost always set in 22k.

Is 22k gold too soft for a ring worn every day?

22k gold is more ductile than lower karat gold, and it will pick up fine scratches with daily wear. Those scratches soften into a warm, satiny finish over time, which is how gold has always aged, and a piece can always be repolished. Our rings are built with substantial metal rather than thin shanks. Karl Lee began making the Big Sur Classic in the 1970s, and the design is still made the same way.

How do custom orders work, and how long do they take?

Custom work begins with a conversation. Write to us at studio@bigsurgoldsmiths.com with your idea or your stone, and we will tell you honestly whether it is something we can make. We take a limited number of commissions, working only in high karat gold, silver and platinum with select gemstones, and we stay true to our own design language. Custom pieces are made by hand in our studio and ship in about 30 days. Custom and special orders are final sale.

Can you remake my heirloom jewelry into a new piece?

Yes. Remaking a client's own gold and stones into a new piece is some of our favorite work. We rework your metal and reset your gems in our own style, so the new piece is ours in design and yours in material and history. Write to us at studio@bigsurgoldsmiths.com with what you have, and we will tell you honestly what can be made from it.

What metals and stones do you use?

High-karat gold (18k, 22k and 24k), platinum and silver, all recycled and ethically sourced, with our gold alloyed in house. Gemstones include turquoise, sapphire, tourmaline, garnet, ruby, diamond, opal and more, many from a collection built over decades.

Why do you work only in high karat gold?

We choose high karat gold for its color, its substance in the hand, and the way it ages. Gold itself does not tarnish, so a high karat piece holds its color for generations. We work only in recycled 18k, 22k and 24k gold, and we never use 14k, which is only a little more than half gold.

What are Big Sur Classic rings made of?

A Big Sur Classic is mixed metal. The setting is 22k gold, combined either with 18k gold or with a sterling silver base and band. The gem is always held in 22k gold, never in a lower karat. Karl Lee began the design in the 1970s, and every Classic is still hand fabricated, one of a kind.

Buying and shipping

Can my ring be resized?

We build our rings to last for decades and generations, to be lived in, worked in and enjoyed, so we use heavier-gauge metal than is common. Gold and silver carry heat extremely well, and most gemstones can't take the heat of a torch, so sizing down would mean re-soldering the band, which is often impossible without risking the stone. Many rings can be sized up. If a piece you love isn't your size, we'd be glad to make you a custom piece that fits.

How do I care for a Big Sur Classic in gold and silver?

Clean with warm water and a soft brush, then dry it well. Do not use soap or oils on turquoise, opal or other delicate stones. A silver polishing cloth brings back the sterling; the 22k gold won’t tarnish. Avoid chemical dips and ultrasonic cleaners. If it ever needs more, send it home to us and we’ll take care of it.

Is my piece insured when it ships, and do I need to sign for it?

Yes. Every US order ships by USPS Priority Mail, fully insured for the full value of the piece, and a signature is required on delivery. US orders over $2,000 ship free. International orders ship insured by FedEx. Shipped from the Ashland, Oregon studio. No sales tax.

What if it isn't right?

You can return any piece within 15 days of delivery if it is undamaged; you cover return shipping. Custom and special orders are final sale. Many clients use a return to trade toward another piece or a commission.

Can I return a custom or special order?

No. Custom and special orders are final sale. Other pieces can be returned within 15 days of delivery, as long as the piece is undamaged, and return shipping is covered by the buyer. Write to us first at studio@bigsurgoldsmiths.com and we will sort it out with you.

Do you collect sales tax?

No. Our studio is in Oregon, and we collect no sales tax on orders.

The studio and its story

Where can I see your jewelry in person?

The Phoenix Shop at Nepenthe in Big Sur carries our work, and has since the 1970s. You will find it at 48510 Highway 1, Big Sur, California. A few select galleries also carry our work, and they are listed on our Stockists page.

What is Big Sur Goldsmiths?

A family fine jewelry studio with a three-generation goldsmithing legacy rooted in Big Sur, California. Karl Lee began the studio in 1964 at the Esalen Art Barn and later on Partington Ridge. Today it is a woman-owned studio run by Carrie Armstrong with her partner, Ali Lee.

What makes your jewelry unique?

Every piece is hand fabricated in our studio, shaped and joined with hand tools and the torch, never cast or mass produced. We alloy, mill and fabricate our own recycled, ethically sourced gold, so every piece carries subtle variation that makes it truly one of a kind. Perfect imperfection.

Where are you located?

Our roots are in Big Sur, California, where Karl Lee established his studio on Partington Ridge and where Ali was born and raised. Today our workshop is in Ashland, Oregon, carrying the same devotion to craft and the same Big Sur ethos.

Who are Carrie Armstrong and Ali Lee?

Carrie Armstrong is a goldsmith and artist who owns and runs the studio. Ali Lee, born and raised on Partington Ridge, is her partner and a third-generation goldsmith, the son of Karl Lee. He apprenticed with Karl and with Kocek, a European-trained master jeweler in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Together they continue the Big Sur Goldsmiths legacy.

What is the Karl Lee gem collection?

Karl and Ali have spent decades sourcing exceptional gemstones from around the world, many from mines that are now closed or depleted. This irreplaceable collection of old stock stones, including legendary Number 8 mine turquoise, is the foundation of some of our most extraordinary pieces.

What is the three-generation legacy?

Karl Lee's father was also a jeweler, something Karl never knew during his lifetime. When a sister reached out to the family after Karl's passing, she brought a jeweler's handbook that had belonged to their late father. The craft had run in the blood for three generations, passed down not through teaching but through something far older.

Can I visit your studio?

We are studio jewelers, with no retail shop, and the studio is not open for visits. If you would like a closer look at a piece before you decide, we are glad to send extra photos or a short video, or to show it to you on a video call. Write to us at studio@bigsurgoldsmiths.com.

Each piece is made for its wearer: one of a kind for one of a kind humans.