In
1997 Australia's master jeweler, Glenn Curtis, began researching pens.
It would be another five years before his first exquisite pieces were
viewed by lovers of fine writing instruments. Curtis, a third-generation
jeweler, was looking for ways to extend his business into other markets
and saw an opportunity in the pen industry. Curtis himself described
his entry into the field of fine writing instruments. The refined jewelry
market in Australia,
is a fiercely competitive, fashion-led market, dominated by
overseas manufacturers. To grow as a company in this environment,
we needed to develop a niche product that allowed our jewelers to
carry on, using the time-honored skills we felt were lost in mass-produced
work. Pens were a natural fit with our existing abilities.
Further, at a time when much of Australia’s manufacturing business
was going to Asia, Curtis was driven by a determination to keep as
much as possible, and indeed grow, that which was already "down
under." Also of great importance was the desire to create a distinctively
Australian pen brand. The company’s name—Curtis Australia—says
it all. Curtis believes that his are the only Australian-made luxury
pens. He began making and selling jewelry at age 14, and still uses
his grandfather’s tools, and the traditional methods that go
along with them. Each pen cap is married to its barrel early in the
manufacturing process; they are hand-fitted together, and are never
separated.
Beautifully balanced and smooth-writing, every Curtis pen allows your
thoughts to flow spontaneously. As with all products that depend heavily
upon hand processes, there are minor differences among the pens. Each
pen carries three hallmarks, including that of the Gold & Silversmiths
Guild of Australia. These marks are the guarantee that every pen has
been made in solid sterling silver or gold by trained craftsmen to long-established
and proven standards.
This year, 2007, witnesses the eminently important 400th anniversary
of the arrival of the first English speaking settlers in America.
Capturing this world-changing event in the wizardry of the jeweler’s
art, Curtis Australia has beautifully designed and hand crafted the
Jamestown
Limited Edition. Highly detailed relief work to the cap and
barrel features the three ships that made the voyage in 1607: The
Godspeed, The Susan Constant, and The Discovery.
Also, in 2007, invited by The International Alliance for Human Rights
to design and create special pieces to help raise awareness and funds
for the people of Darfur, Autralia's master jeweler has designed and
crafted a beautiful and inspiring instrument, the Darfur
Special Edition. Solid sterling silver mounts, sculpted in
the IAFHR "hands of Hope" symbol, inspired by traditional
basket-weaving of the region, surround Amber Silk resin, a color reflective
of the Sudanese landscape.
Forming a core line are pieces that would be, for many other manufacturers,
limited and special editions only:
Prestige
Heritage
Luxury
Classics
Classic
