Our History

Where It Began

As a stand-out design student at Lewis and Clark College, Rick Martin designed and crafted his own jewelry and pottery. His reputation grew from displaying his works at local art shows. It wasn't long before he was sought out by the public to purchase his works of art, occasionally even before he was finished created them.

In 1973, Snow Owl Designs was founded. It has been his passion ever since.

Always striving to create new designs and to expand the availability of rare and unique gemstones and materials, Snow Owl Designs has gained a reputation for being inventive and a trend-setter in original works as well as fully realizing our customers' ideas and dreams in creating truly custom works for them.

Snow Owl Designs has had our work featured multiple times in the Lapidary Journal, one of the premier magazine for jewelry artists. We have also received the honor of having our work featured multiple times at the invitation-only International Pearl Design competition in Japan. We are also regularly display our creations of the American Gemstone Society shows and other jewelry shows across the country.

Even with over 40 years of distinguished history behind us, what we are most proud of is our dedication to ensuring you find inspiration in one of our hundreds of original designs or creating the perfect design specifically for you.