Stories of Treasures
The Sword That Started It All
Three years ago, before there were serving spoons, flatware collections, table bowls, candlesticks, and many of the objects that now make up the Shelton Metal home collection, there was a small sword. The Sword Martini Picks were the very first homeware pieces we introduced, and in many ways, they became the foundation for everything that followed. Recently, I received the exciting news that the Sword Martini Picks had climbed to the #4 Best Seller position within Bloomingdale's Bar & Wine category. For a small independent design studio from Wilmington, North Carolina, seeing one of our earliest designs sitting alongside products from some of the most recognized names in home and entertaining feels incredibly meaningful. Moments like this are worth celebrating, not simply because of the ranking itself, but because of what it represents. It represents three years of building a home collection from the ground up. It represents countless conversations about entertaining, gathering, and creating objects that people actually live with. And perhaps most importantly, it represents the idea that beautifully made objects still matter. When I first designed the Sword Martini Picks, I wasn't thinking about bestseller lists or major retailers. I was thinking about an object that had quietly existed for decades: the classic plastic cocktail sword. For generations, these tiny swords appeared in bars, lounges, steakhouses, hotel restaurants, and dinner parties around the world. They were playful, nostalgic, and instantly recognizable. A simple olive somehow became more memorable when skewered on a miniature sword. I loved the spirit of the object, but I wanted to create a version that felt worthy of keeping. Something that could move beyond novelty and become a permanent part of the bar cart. Each Sword Martini Pick is cast in solid brass or stainless steel, transforming a disposable object into something substantial and enduring. The form remains familiar, but the experience changes entirely. They have weight. Presence. A sense of permanence that encourages them to be used again and again rather than thrown away after a single evening. Looking back, I realize these small picks established many of the principles that would later define the Shelton Metal home collection. They are functional but sculptural. Playful but refined. Inspired by the past while designed for modern entertaining. Most importantly, they encourage gathering. That philosophy has remained at the heart of every object we have created since. Whether it is a serving spoon passed around a summer dinner table, a set of flatware shared among friends, or a martini pick resting beside an evening cocktail, the object itself is only part of the story. What matters most are the memories created around it. Seeing the Sword Martini Picks resonate with Bloomingdale's customers feels particularly special because Bloomingdale's has long represented a destination for discovery. It is a place where customers seek out both established brands and emerging designers, and I am honored to have Shelton Metal included among that conversation. What makes this achievement even more rewarding is knowing that these pieces are being used exactly as intended. Not tucked away inside a cabinet, but incorporated into celebrations, cocktail hours, dinner parties, holidays, and spontaneous gatherings with friends. Some use them for olives in a martini. Others spear cocktail onions for a Gibson. Like many of my favorite objects, they tend to evolve alongside the people who own them. There is also something fitting about the fact that the object that launched the Shelton Metal home collection continues to chart its own course three years later. What began as a simple reinterpretation of a nostalgic cocktail accessory has become one of our most beloved designs and an unexpected ambassador for the collection as a whole. As Shelton Metal continues to grow, the Sword Martini Picks remain a reminder that every collection begins with a single idea. To everyone who has purchased a set, gifted a set, served a martini with one, or supported Shelton Metal along the way, THANK YOU! X, Colby
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Thirteen Years & Thirteen Treasures
This year marks thirteen years of Shelton Metal. When I started the company in 2013, I never could have imagined where the journey would lead. What began as a small metalsmithing practice inspired by the sea, collected objects, and traditional craftsmanship has grown into something much larger than I ever expected. Along the way, there have been thousands of pieces created, countless stories shared, and treasures shipped to homes around the world. To celebrate this milestone, I wanted to create something a little different. Something that felt more like Shelton Metal- I brought back the Treasure Hunt! Over the coming months, thirteen treasures will be hidden throughout Wilmington and beyond. Some clues will lead to physical locations, while others may be tucked away within the digital corners of the Shelton Metal website. Each clue unlocks a new adventure and each treasure has a new story waiting to be discovered. The prizes range from jewelry and objects for the table to one-of-a-kind pieces pulled directly from the Shelton Metal archive. At its heart, the hunt is less about finding a prize and more about embracing the spirit that has always inspired this work. Curiosity. Discovery. Exploration. The thrill of uncovering something unexpected. After all, some of the best treasures are the ones you never knew you were searching for. Thank you to everyone who has supported Shelton Metal over the last thirteen years. Whether you purchased a piece, shared a kind word, visited an exhibition, carried one of my treasures into your home, or simply followed along on the journey, I am deeply grateful. Here's to thirteen years of collecting stories, creating treasures, and seeing where the tide takes us next. The first treasure has already been claimed. Last week, Clue #1 led hunters to a small free library tucked away in downtown Wilmington, where the first hidden prize awaited discovery. Inside was one of my earliest and most recognizable designs, the Seafarers Skull Ring cast in sterling silver. Inspired by old sailor folklore, shipwrecks, and the romance of a life spent chasing the horizon, it felt like the perfect treasure to begin the hunt. Seeing someone follow the clues, uncover the hiding place, and carry home the first prize reminded me why I wanted to create this adventure in the first place. The treasure itself is only part of the story. The journey to find it is where the magic lives. *Clue 2/Treasure 2 has been found! Sign up for our next Treasure Hunt X, Colby
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Jewelry: The Art of Creating a Custom Treasure
When people think of custom jewelry, they often imagine designing something entirely new. While that is certainly possible, many of the pieces I create begin with something old. An heirloom, a memory, or a stone carrying a history of its own. For me, custom jewelry has never been solely about creating an object. It is about carrying a story forward. Long before Shelton Metal expanded into sculptural homeware and objects for the table, custom jewelry was the foundation of my work. After studying architecture, art, and design, and later continuing my education under metalsmiths in Italy, I returned home with a deep appreciation for craftsmanship and the stories that objects can carry through generations. That belief remains at the heart of every custom commission today. The sea continues to inspire much of my work. The movement of water, weathered textures, shells collected from the shoreline, and treasures uncovered after years beneath the surface all find their way into the pieces I create. Many designs begin as hand-carved wax models before being cast into precious metal, allowing each piece to retain an organic quality that feels shaped by time rather than manufactured. What I enjoy most, however, is the conversation that begins each project. Some clients arrive with detailed sketches and a clear vision. Others arrive with only a photograph, a family heirloom, or a feeling they hope to capture. Both approaches are equally exciting. Together we explore materials, gemstones, proportions, textures, and details until a design begins to emerge. I always encourage clients to bring heirloom jewelry, inherited gemstones, or precious metals if they have them. One of my favorite materials to work with is recycled gold. There is something incredibly meaningful about transforming an unworn piece into a new treasure that can continue its journey for generations to come. Whenever possible, existing materials are incorporated into the design, preserving the history while creating something entirely new. Shelton Metal also sources ethical diamonds and gemstones in a wide range of cuts, colors, and budgets. Whether a client is searching for a traditional white diamond, a sea-colored sapphire, an antique-cut stone, or something completely unexpected, sourcing the perfect gemstone is one of the most enjoyable parts of the process. Over the years I have designed engagement rings, wedding bands, anniversary gifts, signet rings, heirloom redesigns, and one-of-a-kind commissions that defy categories altogether. Some become daily companions worn for decades. Others mark life's most important milestones. What connects them all is the story behind them. If you are interested in creating a custom piece, I invite you to begin by completing the Custom Jewelry Request Form. Whether you have a fully realized vision or simply the beginning of an idea, the more information you can provide, the better. Inspiration images, heirloom pieces, gemstone preferences, desired materials, budget, and timeline all help me understand the treasure you hope to create. Projects may include engagement rings, wedding bands, heirloom redesigns, signet rings, necklaces, earrings, anniversary pieces, and one-of-a-kind commissions. I am currently accepting a limited number of new custom jewelry commissions. The custom process typically requires 6–8 weeks from design approval to completion, although more complex projects may require additional time depending on stone sourcing, fabrication, and setting requirements. Whether you are looking to create an engagement ring, redesign a family heirloom, celebrate a milestone, source a special gemstone, or simply bring an idea to life, I would love to hear your story. Some of my favorite treasures have never existed before, while others have existed for generations. Custom Jewelry Request Form The most rewarding aspect of custom jewelry is not simply the finished piece. It is the opportunity to preserve memories, celebrate milestones, and create objects that become part of a family's story. The heirloom passed from generation to generation. The engagement ring marking a new chapter. The forgotten stone rediscovered after years tucked away in a drawer. Those stories become part of the object itself, and in many ways that is what Shelton Metal has always been about: creating treasures with integrity, meaning, and stories worth carrying forward. X, Colby
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On Brass, Patina, and Living With Objects
So whether you choose to polish your brass back to a bright golden shine or allow it to age gracefully, know that there is no wrong way to live with these pieces.
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Notes From NYC: Afternoon Light, Design Week, and the Pirate's Table
An elevated pirate's table somewhere between nostalgia, whimsy, & functionality.
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