If you’ve heard the expression "Everything old is new again," it might refer to the proliferation of ethnic-inspired silver jewelry in the last few years, a phenomenon that recalls the silver-and-turquoise craze of the early ‘70s.

Dave Burchett has been in on both trends, first as a high school student making silver and turquoise jewelry for teachers who snapped up everything he could produce, and now as the owner of Topaz Gem and Mineral in Boulder, Colorado, where a broader clientele buys a broader repertoire of jewelry just as eagerly.

The problem with trends, though, is that they are trendy, and all the word implies. Burchett’s jewelry is no exception, but his solution to the avoidance of look-alike ethnic jewelry is exceptional. Using an unusual combination of computer-generated design, photo engraving, and traditional silver smithing techniques, his process is just as captivating as his product. Here’s how it works:

Burchett begins by scanning artwork or sketches into his computer where he cleans them up electronically, pixel by pixel. Alternatively, he will design the entire piece from scratch on the computer, using graphics software such as Corel Draw.

After reproducing the finished design onto glossy 11" x 14" paper through his laser printer, Burchett sends the camera-ready artwork to a local print shop where, using a letter press photo engraving process, they photograph the art onto a film negative. The negative is then printed onto a sheet of magnesium with a photo-sensitive coating and etched in a week nitric acid solution until the negative surfaces are eaten away, producing a three-dimensional surface.

Next, Burchett cuts out the imprinted designs from the sheet and polishes them. Depending on their finished shape and purpose, he will either cast them as is, or will shape them by bending or doming. The pieces are then cast in silver using standard wax injection casting techniques.

The finished components, which in the case of a box can number as high as ten pieces, are then assembled into a "master." The master is then recast as a single unit, or in the case of a box, two units, including the lid.