Tiger Mountain

Tiger Mountain Jewelry was founded in 1988 on the streets of Lahaina, Maui, by Steven and Clea Hayes. After leaving New Zealand, where Steven was born, the couple traveled extensively through Asia and fell in love with the region's silver jewelry. They brought their finds back to Hawaii and started selling them from a small street cart near the Pacific Ocean. To their surprise, tourists began placing wholesale orders for the mainland.

After 18 months, they moved to Wisconsin, Clea’s birthplace, to focus on their wholesale business while continuing to build connections in Asia. With Steven's background in art and sculpture, and their discovery of rare and beautiful stones, they soon began creating their own jewelry designs. Today, they offer over 500 unique designs featuring more than 60 types of natural semi-precious stones.

Years later, after traveling across the U.S. to meet and serve customers, they settled in New Hampshire, where they still live today. Their time spent visiting boutiques, galleries, and small shops gave them valuable insights into retail.

Steven’s close collaboration with their silversmiths and stonecutters is key to the design process. Every piece of Tiger Mountain Jewelry is handmade using traditional techniques passed down through generations. In a world where many items are mass-produced, they take pride in helping to keep this craft alive.