A useful essay about the Double Cross style, Double Cross Jewelry & its illustrious Founder Travis Walker. This writeup takes the reader through the founding of the Double Cross label franchise and its quick ascension to the apex of the gothic silver jewelry industry.
What is biker jewelry (also frequently) referred to gothic silver jewelry and rock n roll jewelry)? Although we do know what it is, some things cannot fall to be described to any degree of satisfaction in words. It can be said that biker jewelry is thick, chunky jewelry crafted from 925 sterling silver. It employs bold, unconventional, often edgy and sometimes anarchic, anti-establishmental designs. The paradigm image it commonly inspires is that of a handsome, rugged, masculine and individualistic man riding a seasoned Harley over endless rural roads into the sunset with a violent agenda. Or that of a hugely successful rock celebrity performing live on stage, commanding the uncontrolled adoration of millions of punk followers in the mosh pit. It is a look which tickles one’s active imagination and sparks wonder and awe. Today, the biker look has become hugely popular, due largely to fervent adoption by musicians, bikers, biker enthusiasts, rock n roll fans and many other cultural figureheads keen to showcase and promote individualism via the snazzy, eye-catching outfits and accessories they wear. In this write-up, we introduce Travis Walker: one of the best gothic silver jewelry designers the world has seen since Gaboratory pioneered the biker and gothic images with its line of gothic silver jewelry.
Who is Travis Walker
Travis Walker, a first generation gothic silver design genius, has been crafting beautiful gothic silver jewelry and biker leather designs for 18 years. Like many other first generation-ers of sterling silver biker jewelry such as Bill Wall and Gabor Nagy, Travis Walker was born and raised in Malibu, California. Till this day, the humble jeweler continues to reside in sunny California with his wife, Brittany. He began his foray into the world of design by making custom chopper seats for some of the top bike builders, including Harley Davidson. Although Walker continues to create custom pieces for special clients and celebrities, he does so only on a personal basis for close friends and treasured clients. Recognizing the demand for fashionable biking accessories and apparel, Travis Walker entered the realm of sterling silver gothic jewelry, which he pioneered under the pupillage of the late design guru Gabor Nagy.
Being one of Gabor’s top students, Walker promptly became to the position of the vice President of Gaboratory. Although Walker had become the head jeweller of Gaboratory, the desire to forge something for himself eventually inspired him to depart from the honoured halls of Gaboratory and begin walking an ambitious road towards creating a name for himself, by himself.
The Birth of Double Cross Jewelry
In early 1996, Walker released his first line of biker jewelry, heralding the birth of Double Cross Jewelry. Since then, Walker’s popularity has surged exponentially both locally and overseas, and Walker has maintaining an enviable underground and exclusive clientele. Double Cross has specially designed unique custom jewelry for rock stars, A-list celebrity actors and actresses, special clients and top bike builders.Travis’ original designs are varied in theme, ranging between edgy and gothic to high-end and classical. Putting on Double Cross designs not only makes you stand out in a crowd; it also tells of a life defined by surf, motorcycles, social status and rock n roll. Till today, Today, Double Cross remains very exclusive, and sells itself successfully as a premium brand. Its beautiful gothic jewelry pieces, unfortunately, are priced at levels way beyond what most wage-earning fans can reasonably afford to pay.
Why replicas, fakes and Double Cross inspired jewelry is rising in popularity
In recent years, Double Cross jewelry has faced challenges from countless offshore competitors possessing the talent, resources and ability to deliver equally detailed, beautiful & well-crafted luxury gothic silver jewelry to bikers & other rock-culture lovers at a small fraction of Double Cross jewelry prices. Today, fans of gothic sterling silver jewelry have a wide range of alternatives to original Double Cross jewelry. Gothic silver jewelry fans are wising up to the ugly truth behind branding, which is actually nothing more than an imaginary concept. Brand is not something which customers will always be willing to bear the cost for. Given the widespread availability of cheaper & equally intricate offerings, it is no surprise that designer label jewelry isn’t an unusual or rare sight on the streets notwithstanding the premium brand pricing of the original. The new wisdom is: why bust the bank on designer label jewelry when one can get a materially identical piece forged from the same top grade 925 sterling silver at a tiny fraction of the cost?
However, in choosing alternatives in the form of replicas or similarly styled inspired designs, it is important to know the quality of jewelry you are paying for. Double Cross Jewelry competitors range from best grade alternatives & close replicas by real jewelers to mass-producing bootleggers mass produced poorly made bootlegs made from base metals such as steel and copper.
For a thorough & comprehensive discourse of fakes & replicas, the writeup at the skull jewelry page will be very useful & informative.
This writer is a Texan designer with 8 years of jewelry craftsmanship portfolio coverage. He does both jewelry craft and fashion analysis. To learn more about David Yurman, bootlegs, inspired alternatives and other challenges facing the brand, visit Fleur de Lis jewelry
