spexton team bios


Nate McPherson & Greg Shelton - Founders
 
Jewelry is a very sacred thing for so many people. Being able to create the symbol for someone's memories, or life event, or self-expression - that is the true joy of what we do.
 
In 2003, after spending about a year living in Germany, I returned to my hometown of Tulsa and was culture shocked, depressed, and sick of college (where I'd been wasting my life for 6 years). 
 
I had been home for about 2 weeks when I met Greg, who had been a truck driver for the past 12 years, and something just clicked between us. After a few months, Greg and I opened a men's designer clothing & accessory store inspired by boutiques I visited while living in Germany. The store, Underguy, happened to be in a mixed facility that housed a small machine shop which produced steel parts for the oil and gas industry.
 
Having spent the last 12 years as an over-the-road truck driver, Greg's familiarity with machinery and knowledge of tools gave him an idea! I had purchased a steel ring a few days before moving back to the States. Using that ring as a guide, Greg purchased a small manual lathe and used scraps from the machine shop next door to create the very first pieces of jewelry. And so Spexton was born.
 
The 'Spexton' label was actually the formal name of our company long before we ever had the desire to create jewelry. We liked the way it sounded, and it was completely unique to us, so it just seemed to work very well. The moment Greg made his first bracelet, we knew immediately what the definition and future of 'Spexton' would become!
 
Since then we have had a blast making thousands of wedding bands, creating jewelry worn by dozens of crazy-huge celebrities (Sir Elton John, Britney Spears, Jamie Foxx, Katy Perry, and Justin Bieber, to name a few), having our jewelry in NY Fashion Week, being voted one of the coolest jewelry stores in the country, and who knows what is next!
 
Spexton is artist-direct, made-to-order jewelry. We are confident when we say that Spexton is the world's finest stainless steel and titanium jewelry collection, as we have yet to see anything better (and we strive to keep it that way!).
 
At Spexton, we believe that if you only purchase one thing in your life that is custom made by the focused hands of an artist, it should be your wedding band. We are humbled every day to have the opportunity to create our special pieces for our amazing customers, and look forward to working with you, too!

Andy Marcum - Retail Store Co-Owner/Graduate Diamond Expert
 
I love the beauty of diamonds. I enjoy working with people, whether they are choosing  engagement rings, wedding bands, anniversary gifts, or fashion pieces. Jewelry is a happy occasion. People have fun picking out their jewelry. I think it should be an enjoyable process, not an intimidating one.
 
I am one of the co-owners of the Spexton store on Cherry Street in Tulsa. I started working with Nate and Greg at Spexton in 2009 as their go-to source for diamonds and gemstones. We collectively decided to join forces and open a retail store in the Cherry Street District of Tulsa in 2013. Our focus is on bridal jewelry and custom designs (both contemporary and classic).
 
I grew up in New York and I have several family members who belong to the jewelry profession, including both grandfathers, my uncle, and both sisters. I got into the business working for my uncle in 1977 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
 
I have traveled the world in connection with the jewelry business, including Bangkok, India, Israel, and Belgium. 
 
I earned my Diamond Certificate from the Gem Institute of America in 1980. I am now coming up on nearly 40 years of experience in the jewelry industry!
 
If you call to speak to me, I will do the best I can. But, I do have a condition with my voice that sometimes makes it difficult to hear me over the phone. My raspy voice sounds painful, but it is only painful for you to listen to!
 
I live in Tulsa with my wife and I have a daughter who lives in New York City. 
 
My hobbies include supporting local restaurants and running at the RiverTrails in Tulsa.

Mike Cox - Master Jeweler
 
I love seeing the customer happy. I like seeing their reactions when they get their finished product. I put a lot of emotion into their pieces... I work on each piece as if I am creating a piece for myself. I try to make the most perfect piece, each and every time.
 
I started making jewelry in 1990 when I was a student at OSU Okmulgee (now OSU-IT). I got my degree in Jewelry Technology in 1992 and I have been working in the industry ever since. In my career, I have set literally hundreds of thousands of diamonds! I have worked with just about every gem stone and metal imaginable. 
 
I also enjoy designing my own original pieces. You can see a lot of my designs in the Spexton shop on Cherry Street. Most of my designs come into my mind and go directly into my hands. In other words, I work directly on the jewelry without the use of CAD or computers. 
 
I started working with the Spexton team around 2011. What I enjoy most about working at Spexton is that the focus is on unique and innovative jewelry design. I love jewelry that sets itself apart from everything else. 
 
I was born and raised in McAllister, Oklahoma. I am married and I have three daughters. When I am not working on jewelry, I enjoy playing music and working on cars.

Marcia Cobler - Office Manager/Customer Support
 
It is so much fun to be a part of a special life moment for the couples that shop at Spexton. I enjoy witnessing the love of the couples. Working in the jewelry profession, it is amazing to be a part of people's celebration, their love, their weddings, their anniversaries, etc. It is a happy moment in people's lives and I love being able to be a part of it!
 
I started working with Andy in 1997. I have done it all, including designing logos, overseeing the printing of catalogs, fulfilling customer's orders, shipping out packages, keeping track of all of the paperwork, and doing all of the accounting and book keeping! I have served in various capacities over the near-twenty years I have been working in the jewelry profession. I am essentially the office manager at the Spexton shop on Cherry Street in Tulsa. I am the detail-oriented one that keeps all of the plates spinning! 
 
In 2009, Andy became the go-to source for diamonds and gemstones for all of the jewelry Nate and Greg were creating at Spexton. That is when I began working with Spexton. Andy and the guys collectively decided to join forces and open the Spexton retail store in the Cherry Street District of Tulsa in 2013. I have been working at the shop ever since!
 
I am a lifelong Tulsan who graduated from Will Rogers High School. I married my high school sweetheart. We have 2 sons, a daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren. 
 
We enjoy motorcycle-riding and we love our two cats, Abi and Sadie!

Steve Cluck - Jewelry Design/Customer Support
 
Hello! I am the newest member of the Spexton team. I work in the store on Cherry Street in Tulsa and I love helping people find their perfect pieces of jewelry! 
 
My background in the visual arts has carried over well when it comes to creating custom jewelry designs and having an eye for what looks beautiful on people. 
 
I can relate to all of the customers who are shopping for their engagement rings because I was one of those people! I had been a fan of Spexton since it first started in 2003, but it was when I went to Spexton for my fiance's ring in 2015 that our professional relationship began. My art background would carry over right into the artistic creations we make at Spexton!
 
Here is some info about that "art background" I mentioned! I am a pop artist and designer whose work focuses on fashion, love, and Oklahoma! My paintings have been exhibited in just about every art gallery in Oklahoma. I obtained my Bachelor of Fine Art degree at the University of Tulsa in 2005 with an emphasis in printmaking. I also occasionally teach art classes, and I have taught at Philbrook Museum, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa Community College, and Youth Services of Tulsa!
 
I am a proud Tulsan and I am very involved with the local community. How much do I love Tulsa? Since 2005, I have been championing our fine city by creating "I Heart Tulsa," "Don't Hate the 918," "I Speak Okie," and other pro-Oklahoma product lines! I personally create many of the products by hand, including T-shirts, buttons, magnets, coasters, greeting cards, art, and more. I do the photography, marketing, social media, accounting, sales, and more! My "I Heart Tulsa" T-shirts have been worn by celebs like Kristen Chenoweth, Hanson, Chris Robinson ("The Black Crowes"), and ten of thousands of people who love the great state of Oklahoma!
 
I won the Tulsey Award for Best Young Entrepreneur in 2008 and the Tulsey Award for Arts & Entertainment in 2012. Urban Tulsa named me among Tulsa's "Hot 100" in 2006, 2007, and 2010. I even had the honor of appearing on the cover of Oklahoma Magazine as one of their "40 under 40" in 2012.