About Us

Our Story

Where fine jewelry and grand opera meet

Carl Tanner Designs is a small studio with a big story. We create fine jewelry that feels as moving as a great aria: handmade, deeply personal, and meant to be experienced for a lifetime — and passed on to the next.

Jewelry with a story, not just a shine

Every piece begins as a simple idea sketched on paper before it becomes a tangible work of art. When searching for gems, our owner and master jeweler, Carl Tanner, hand-selects each stone for its character: natural diamonds, moissanite, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, opals, pearls, and many more.

We use only the finest Argentum silver (93.5), sterling silver (92.5), platinum, and 10kt, 14kt, and 18kt gold in rose, white and yellow. Our gem cutters are among the finest artisans in the business, cutting, faceting, and polishing each stone to maximize its light and life.

The result is jewelry that feels timeless, honest, and wearable every day — classic designs that become treasured keepsakes rather than passing trends.

Our collections

  • Premier Collection — Gold and natural gemstones, crafted as future heirlooms.
  • Excellence in Sterling — Fine sterling silver with natural stones, offering exceptional value.
  • Exceptional Moissanite — Brilliant, durable moissanite in master-crafted settings.
  • Ring Studio Mounts — Thoughtfully designed mountings ready for your chosen center stone.

Behind every design is a simple philosophy: traditional craftsmanship, fair pricing, and pieces that carry real emotion. We look forward to building a close relationship and providing all of your jewelry needs.

Master jeweler and operatic tenor Carl Tanner

Meet Carl Tanner

Master jeweler. World-class tenor. Storyteller.

Carl Tanner has been handmaking jewelry since he was 15 years old. Even as his life took him from modest beginnings in Virginia to some of the world’s great stages, the jeweler’s bench has always been a constant in his story.

Before opera, Carl worked as a truck driver and modern-day bounty hunter—a far cry from La Scala or Covent Garden. One day, while inching along in his 18-wheeler on I-95, he passed the time singing a Puccini aria. A woman in the next car called out, “Is that you, or the radio?” When he answered, “That’s me,” she replied: “Then you’ve missed your calling. You should be singing for a living, not driving.” She was right.

Carl went on to build an international career as an American operatic tenor, performing leading roles at many of the world’s most prestigious opera houses, including Teatro alla Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, The Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Opéra National de Paris, Washington National Opera, New National Theatre Tokyo, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro Real de Madrid, and Liceu de Barcelona, among many others.

His repertory includes the title roles in Otello and Andrea Chénier, as well as Radamès in Aida, Manrico in Il Trovatore, Pollione in Norma, Don José in Carmen, Canio in I Pagliacci, Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana, Calaf in Turandot, Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut, Dick Johnson in La Fanciulla del West, Cavaradossi in Tosca, and Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly.

Today, Carl pours that same sense of drama, timing, and emotional storytelling into his jewelry studio. Each piece is composed with the care of a performance: pacing, balance, and a final moment that takes your breath away.

From the stage to the studio

For Carl, there is no hard line between performing and creating. Opera taught him that powerful art connects people across generations. Jewelry, for him, is another way to do exactly that: a setting for emotion, memory, and meaning that can be worn every day.

Enjoy a glimpse of Carl in his other world — on stage and behind the scenes:

To read more about Carl and his operatic career, visit his opera website or his Wikipedia page .

Carl Tanner - Hear the Angel Voices album cover

Hear the Angel Voices

Carl’s recently re-released Christmas album, Hear the Angel Voices , is available for purchase and digital download through major music sources.

Just as with his jewelry, the album is full of warmth, reverence, and a sense of celebration — a reminder that beauty can be heard, seen, and worn.