Born in the spirit of true American craftsmanship, Endswell is Rachel Gant and Andrew Deming’s vision of a precise, thoughtful, and modern approach to the things we wear that best stand the test of time: rings. Using a combination of 3D-printing technology and a traditional hand finish, Endswell uses solid precious metals to achieve a lucid and detailed appeal. Originally located in San Francisco and now based out of Saint Augustine, we asked Rachel and Andrew about their process and design house, Yield, which, in addition to rings, produces a range of home goods and bags.Your jewelry goes through such a unique process, moving from design to 3D-printing to a hand-finish.
What inspired you to 3D-print your jewelry?
Rachel: My background is in Architecture and Industrial Design, so 3D-printing was a familiar process for prototyping models, but when a few close friends asked us to design their wedding bands, we jumped straight from sketches to 3D-modeling to visualize our ideas. For their rings, we were working off the concept of infinite surfaces, which is how the Infinity series came to be. We were concerned that the details and surfaces we wanted to achieve were too subtle and precise for someone to craft by hand. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we could 3D-print wax, which would allow us to combine the traditional methods of casting from wax models with the new technologies of 3D-printing.
When we settled on using 3D-printing as a part of our process, we were intent on maintaining a balance of new technologies and handcraft. The final design should not look as though it was printed, that’s not part of our goal; the goal is that the design embodies a language, a meaning, and a vocabulary with beautifully precise forms. We gear the 3D-printing process to its advantages and extract its best qualities without letting our designs get lost in the novelty of the machine.
Though your pieces are done in a very technical fashion, do you find that the hand finishing process is an important part of your philosophy?
Rachel: Yes. Since the rings are cast from our 3D-printed waxes using the “lost wax method,” the higher quality prints allow us to achieve a high level of detail, but the hand finishing is crucial–it’s really when the subtle transitions and smooth surfacing are uncovered. It’s a bit like excavating. If we didn’t hand polish the pieces with a human eye for detail, the true beauty of the form wouldn’t be fully revealed.
Your business began in San Francisco and is now located in Saint Augustine, FL. Why did you decide to move?
Andrew: Rachel and I met in San Francisco and our entire relationship had taken place there until we moved last summer, so it was a big change. We visited Saint Augustine repeatedly over the years and increasingly felt drawn to make the move. The town has an amazing hidden gem quality. It’s the oldest city in the US and has beautiful Spanish architecture and cobblestone streets just a short distance from the ocean.
San Francisco was not an easy city to leave. There is so much we love about the Bay Area, but we began to feel that in our particular situation, the struggles were outweighing the positives. We felt drawn to the community in Saint Augustine and to the idea that we could have a more significant impact on the design community here as our business grows. We also longed for a simpler day-to-day, room to breathe, and the warm ocean.
What are some of the biggest differences between both places, and does this influence the way you create your line?
Andrew: There are some similarities between the cities, namely walkability and good food, but it pretty much ends there. The biggest difference is size and density. Saint Augustine is small and doesn’t have anywhere near the same level of competition for space that exists in San Francisco. Late last year, we moved our studio into a 100 year old warehouse space that has made it possible for us to expand and bring much more of our production in house.
Under Yield, we’ve also been able to tap into local manufacturing in the area and we find that there tends to be a real appreciation for the work we bring. Our bags are all produced in our studio but we now work with outside manufacturing partners in woodworking, metal working, and ceramics all locally. Some of our partners are skilled older craftsmen and we love that the process involves learning both ways. We can push design in a modern, forward direction while learning from people who have spent decades honing their craft.
What made you decide to use gold in particular for your pieces?
Rachel: Gold is a great metal to work with and endures wear very well over time. Since the collection began with wedding bands, we’ve always viewed the pieces as long-lasting, meaningful heirlooms. Gold reflects that sentiment in its quality, value, and the fact that it is available in 3 colors that would appeal and adapt to most any style. You’ll never find Endswell rings made using gold-fill or plating. Since the initial gold offerings, we’ve also expanded to other precious metals, including platinum, palladium, and sterling silver. Also, we will soon be releasing new designs that incorporate conflict-free stones.
What inspired the name Endswell?
Rachel: The name Endswell naturally came from the phrase, “All’s well that ends well.” Andrew’s former bandmate used the name when he performed solo and it stuck. After we started to design the collection, it just hit us that Endswell was the perfect name. We found it to be a nice sentiment because it acknowledges a sort of perfect imperfect. To us, it means that we can’t always predict and control exactly how life will turn out, but if we act with positive intentions and open minds, good things will come.
Endswell was established by your design company Yield, which creates a number of different products. How did you come to establish this company?
Andrew: Yield started a few years back when Rachel and I began collaborating on making one of her school projects a reality while I was still working at fuseproject. We both had other things going and didn’t exactly envision from the outset what it would become, in terms of both personal investment and breadth of work. We learned a lot by creating that first product and found that we had very complementary skillsets. Eventually, we quit everything else and made Yield our full time focus. We knew early on that we wanted to create a brand defined by a set of values, rather than a singular product type. We work across a range of mediums, but aim to create pieces that are all unified by their design sensibility and high level of craft.
Endswell sold at select Steven Alan stores
Photos by: Yield Design and Kelsey Heinze | Copy by: Abbey Abate