Instructor Spotlight
George Gallant

George retired from a long career in biomedical technology in 2014, finally giving himself time to explore the handmade jewelry he’d admired for years. While traveling the country in a fifth‑wheel trailer, he and his wife spent their winters in sunny Arizona,always looking for creative indoor hobbies. Jewelry quickly became the perfect fit—small,portable, and endlessly interesting.

At their RV resort, George met a woman teaching silversmithing and jumped right into her class. He fell in love with the craft, eventually becoming a student monitor and later teaching beginners himself. From there, he taught himself wire‑wrapping and chain maille, took a lapidary class to cut his own cabochons, and even began making his own silver and copper wire, bar, and plate.

His fellow jewelers gave him the nickname “Ringles” because he carried jump rings everywhere he went. The name stuck, and he proudly added “an old guy with jump rings” to his business cards.

After joining the Art Guild, George began teaching chain maille—an art form dating back to the Celts and even worn by Cleopatra. He started with simple patterns, but his students inspired him to expand into designs that mix rings, beads, and glass. He also offers occasional private lessons in chain maille and silversmithing.

Nothing makes George happier than seeing someone wear a piece he made or a design he taught. Turquoise is his favorite stone, though he enjoys working with many stones and loves copper for its warm range of colors. At the art center, he especially enjoys teaching bracelets—they’re fun, creative, and can be finished in a single class.