The Method behind the Metals: Davis Hatcher

If you’ve ever been to a summer camp then you’re probably familiar with handmade art, but one Boulder-based jeweler is changing the game.

Designer and metalworker Davis Hatcher is more than just a craftsman, he’s an inventor. Hatcher has spent the last four years creating handmade accessories with a twist: he also makes his own tools.

With such a unique style and process for crafting it only makes sense that Hatcher would have an equally quirky introduction to designing jewelry.

“It happened by accident,” Hatcher says. “My brother asked me if I could make him a bracelet out of metal for Christmas. The first one I made, I literally hammered out on the sidewalk on this little metal plate.”

After his first bracelet, the requests continued to trickle in from friends and family. As an employee at Rio Grande, Hatcher would make bracelets and rings for his coworkers at the restaurant.

Interest in his jewelry grew organically until a friend put him in contact with popular men’s lifestyle Youtuber, Aaron Marino. Hatcher says at the time Marino had about a quarter of a million followers who he emailed with a link to Hatcher’s online store earning him his first 60 digital sales. Since that day years ago, Hatcher has continued to develop his designs along with new tools to match his visions.

With his background in math and engineering from CU Boulder, each bracelet, cuff, and accessory comes with a series of calculations that predict how the wire will behave. While many artists may not use as many mathematical formulas as he does, Hatcher says that’s just the way he’s wired.

“I think in processes,” Hatcher says. “Even more so than a final visual aesthetic, when I look at my stuff I think of it in terms of like a step-by-step formula. The further I go down that rabbit hole of making my own tools and having new ideas, the more unique my stuff becomes and then it’s harder for other people to copy it.”

Hatcher says his first few designs were simple, but as they grew more complex it was clear that he would need new tools to make his vision a reality. A quick trip to the machine shop is all it takes for the craftsman to create exactly what he needs to complete his next piece.

Hatcher specializes in creating handmade bracelets, luxury cuffs, and men’s accessories using silver, copper, and niobium. The young designer says his use of new tools, unique materials, and innovative techniques are the reasons he has been so fortunate in his career as a jeweler so far.

Most recently Hatcher’s work has been picked up by Signet, a jewelry shop in Cherry Creek known for hosting imaginative pieces. His handmade accessories also caught the eye of award-winning artisanal designer Todd Reed, who quickly became a mentor.

Hatcher says Reed’s mentorship has allowed him to craft pieces that stand out and fine tune his craft, while also guiding him towards opportunities to share his work with more buyers. He now has plans to expand his business and get his jewelry in galleries and magazines across the nation.

“It’s this number game, but the connection has to be genuine and mutually beneficial. So that’s what’s really making a difference now,” Hatcher says.

To view his full collection or make a purchase, go to davishatcher.com. Check out Davis and his amazing creations below.