Danny began his creative career as an apprentice bench jeweler more than 20 years ago, learning design and repair of fine jewelry. He subsequently moved from his hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he worked for IJS for over a decade. Among other things, he learned how be an industrial tool and die maker manufacturing jewelry findings on a mass scale and was introduced to the art of lapidary work, eventually working at a commercial level sourcing new material and having it cut in the USA, China and Mexico. He also worked with 3M Abrasives in developing systems for use in lapidary, many of which are in use today. As IJS VP of Marketing, Danny traveled around the United States and internationally, giving him a unique insight into the needs of makers in the industry and trends, innovations, and techniques being explored by both individual makers and large scale manufacturers.

Danny also worked for DHF selling precious metal and working with the technical side of the sputtering targets division. This experience helped him develop an understanding of alloying and large-scale casting uncommon in the industry.

Today he operates his own company, Ferro Valley Tools, which manufactures handmade tools for jewelry makers. He is constantly looking for ways to expand production capability and to innovate in the design and creation of tools specific to the jewelry trade. He has a social media following numbering in the thousands and recently began teaching the art of stamping and metal embellishment due to overwhelming demand. Danny’s tools and stones have been featured in books, trade magazines, online forums and groups, influencing jewelers and lapidarists all over the world.