Tulsa's Spexton Creating Jewelry

By Rick Wells, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Valentine's Day is a week from Saturday.  Many people struggle with gift ideas, looking for something different, beyond candy and flowers.  One option may be jewelry, but not the traditional stuff. Each piece is handcrafted, much of it made from titanium and steel.

For about a year, Greg Shelton and Nate McPherson have been making very unique pieces of jewelry in a little shop near downtown. They said they are more machinists than jewelers.

"They're a big seller, so it won't be long before they are gone," said Nate McPherson.

The steel beads are inlaid with gold or copper or silver and, as he said, are big sellers in Europe on Spexton's website.  In fact, until they opened their shop, they were almost exclusively an Internet and word of mouth business.

The biggest part of it is custom made wedding bands for men.

"Guys go into regular jewelry store and they think that's all they can get.  They buy it and go on their way," said Nate McPherson.

What Nate and Greg are about is providing options.  Some of their pieces have gold inlays.  Some have copper.  Some are inlayed with rubber.

There are necklaces and bracelets.  Lots of different shapes and styles, but for the most part the ring's the thing. 

One is a little rough around the edges.

"I'm just going to polish out the interior of it," said Nate McPherson.

He uses a modified bench grinder and some sand paper to do that.  The base metals for most pieces are steel and titanium.  The same stuff used in golf clubs and airplanes.  The combination is strong and light weight.

Spexton's is located at the corner of 3rd and Lansing in downtown Tulsa.