We are Raintree
Raintree is a family owned company creating jewelry the old fashioned way, by hand, from start to finish. We are a husband and wife team with over 50 years combined experience in custom jewelry design and manufacturing. Our gallery is located in Burlington, Vermont on Church Street.
Michael started his career in jewelry when he was chosen for an apprenticeship at the young age of fifteen. He fell in love with the trade and after graduating from high school he went on to earn a degree from the Gemological Institute of America. Throughout his career, he has pursued and mastered all phases of design and manufacturing. Mike’s passion and commitment to the art of goldsmithing led him to work for Bernard Passman in 2001. He is one of a few artists to have had the privilege to work directly with Mr. Passman in creating his black coral masterpieces. For years he worked alongside Mr. Passman and then continued working for Passman Galleries keeping Mr. Passman’s dream and spirit alive, by creating some of the most exquisite black coral fine jewelry and sculpture designs.
Shannon began making jewelry in high school using complex bead weaving techniques. She went on to earn a degree in Jewelry Arts at Revere Academy. Her aptitude for the intricate led her back to school to earn a degree in Horology, the art of watchmaking. She has worked in the North American service center facilities for both Patek Philippe and Richemont Group. She has participated in training programs in the U.S., Switzerland and the Caribbean for the top Watchmaking companies in the world, including Patek Philippe, Rolex, Omega, Breitling, Tag Heuer, Chopard, and Cartier. Most recently she has held the position of Senior Watchmaker at the Rolex Service Center on St Thomas in the USVI. Throughout the years she has continued to design and create custom jewelry pieces for clients while mastering the art of watchmaking.
Our Black Coral designs are created using Caribbean and Hawaiian Black Coral. Black Coral is a deep-water, tree-like coral, which grows in sea colonies at depths around or greater than 200 feet. Scientific studies have revealed specimens of black coral are among the oldest continuously living organisms on the planet, around 4,265 years old. Black coral can have a radial growth rate as low as 4 to 35 micrometers per year and colony lifespans can range into thousands of years.
Black coral is also referred to as King’s Coral, from its use in scepters by Kings in the Indian Ocean region centuries ago. Black coral is an organic medium that when polished creates a brilliant luster. Grain lines, iridescent coloration and dimples are a part of black coral’s structure and these qualities add to the beauty and uniqueness of the jewelry.
Shannon and Mike live in Vermont with their two children, Riley and Rockford. They met nearly ten years ago over a ring design and they have been making jewelry together ever since. They have won 2 design awards for their jewelry in the AGTA Spectrum Design Contest. We can’t wait to see what they do next!
All of our jewelry is 100% handmade in America by our family for yours. We do not outsource any of our work and we do not use CAD programming for design or production of any of our jewelry. All of the gold used to create our designs is poured, rolled and drawn by our hands.
Jewelry with timeless beauty, outstanding quality and impeccable craftsmanship.