John Ford scours the world for unique and beautiful gemstones for his collections of fine one of a kind jewelry. “We buy all our gemstones as close to the source as possible” said Ford in a recent interview, “whether it’s Black Opal from Lightning Ridge, Australia or Aquamarines from Brazil. That’s why our quality and price is unsurpassed in the industry.”

This recent interview tells the story of where the gems come from and how the manufacturing process works.

John recently photographed the process of creating a unique piece of jewelry for a dear friend of his. This ladies Black Opal and diamond necklace and earring suite contains 76.15 carats of Lightning Ridge Opals accented by 8.60 carats of round brilliant cut Diamonds set in 18k yellow gold is stunning.

Please click through this slide show to see all the steps in John Ford’s process of creating a one of a kind masterpiece.