Timothy Zink

I cut my first rock when I was 13 years old with help from my father Edward Zink. I still have that piece of African Blue Lace because it reminds me of how intrigued I was to finally get to use the tools I saw my father use growing up. At the age of 15 I dreamed of one day cutting rocks for a living, and knew I would start my own business as long as I stuck to it. When I turned 17, I came up with the name Zinksterling, because at that time I had finally started getting past the beginners stage of silversmithing and I felt that intrigue I’d had for rocks once again. By 23, I had started a family with my beautiful wife Madison, and we decided that it was time to Join the military before I got too old and it was no longer an option. Now I am 26 Years old and Stationed in Okinawa, Japan. I love the army in a lot of ways, but I feel its time to finally put more energy toward a dream I have had for over a decade. So with some help from my wonderful family, I am very happy to say Welcome To Zinksterling.

Madison Zink

My journey with the Zinksterling family started in 2015 when I met Tim in a small town in Oklahoma. With every piece I saw Tim create I fell more in love with him, and his craft. In 2016 I cut my first Stone, and in 2019, I began training to one day join the team of silversmiths here at Zinksterling. My marriage to Timothy was a commitment to him, and to the dream he held to make Zinksterling a reality. Here at Zinksterling I am a collaborator in product design, as well as our website manager. My formal training is as a freelance artist, so I feel I bring a new perspective to our workshop. With Me as your Customer service representative, I can assure you that customer satisfaction is one of our top priorities. As a 23 year old mother to two, I understand the importance of providing top quality products and service from our little family to yours.

Edward Zink

I was introduced to stone cabbing and turquoise in particular in the summer of 1972. This was in
Kingman, Arizona at the height of the American Turquoise craze and Kingman, AZ was the turquoise
capital of the world. My older sister was dating a turquoise wholesaler and was forced (much against her will) to take me along on her dates. To occupy me, Ernie would let me polish dopped cabochons on a spool polisher. Everyone was happy with the arrangement, I was out of their hair and fascinated with watching the finished polish emerge from the semi-finished stones. I was very sad when they stopped seeing each other.

I wasn’t able to afford my own rock cutting equipment in any serious way until 1993 nearly 20 years
later. I enrolled in adult continuing education classes at Mohave Community College and took
Silversmithing and Lapidary. At the time I was trying to quit smoking and needed something to do. I have cut stones and done silversmithing since then. Gradually I branched out from turquoise and became a certified “Opal Addict”. I have cut 1000s and 1000s of opals over the years. My youngest son Tim was fascinated with my hobby’s early on, and I finally started him cutting in the summer of 2007 when he was 13.

These days I still cut opals and have partnered with Tim on many gem opal rough parcels. Tim does
things with silver that I don’t even try to master. He has created several techniques that are his and his alone, though I have never known him to refuse to share them with other professionals and hobbyists alike. Tim has several customers who rely on Zink Sterling to provide them the cut stones they use in their custom jewelry fabrications.