OXFORD – Gallery Three-Two-One hosted two renowned jewelers Saturday. Gallery owners Bill and Diane Troxell invited the couple to be part of their holiday open house. Jewelers Margie and Bill Lombard have been crafting their art for the last 23 years. Many of their pieces include rare gems and materials, such as the ivy from the tusks of an extinct prehistoric animal, the mastodon (woolly mammoth).

Margie was originally a nurse and Bill graduated from Cornell University with a degree in animal science. Both began their art as a pastime, but it eventually grew to become a full-time occupation. Margie said she always wanted to pursue a career in the arts, but was discouraged by her family’s lack of faith in the competitive field. When the opportunity appeared, Bill left his job at Cornell University with the support of friends and coworkers. The couple has shaped and designed pieces together for the last 23 years and have been happily married for 20. Their business is run out of their private home just outside Saratoga Springs, called “The Village Smithe.”