David Lee started his professional career at the age of sixteen, a dedicated, motivated individual who knew very young that jewelry was “it” for him. He was and continues to be self taught, learning each new technique and solving the inevitable puzzles by research and trial and error.
In 1985 he opened Golden Touch Jewelry, a gallery specializing in objects of exceptional design and technique. In 1997 David tested for and passed the examination to earn the title of Certified Master Bench Jeweler from Jewelers of America. This certification involved 40 hours of bench testing covering advanced stone setting, wax carving, fabrication and problem solving, and two written exams. David was the twelfth jeweler in the nation to accomplish this goal.
For fourteen years, David acted as owner and designer of Golden Touch Jewelry. His strong, bold style met with increasingly positive receptions, and as demand for his designs grew, he began to explore options that would allow him to design and create full time, away from the distractions of a full retail establishment.
In 2001, David closed his retail gallery and founded david lee jeweler, a design studio committed to personally creating exceptional designs from exquisite materials. Today David works from his studio in a renovated Victorian style house in Mason City, Iowa, expanding his signature line of jewelry.