About Us

Owner Marc Fishbone has worked 20 years in the gem and jewelry trade. After attaining his diploma in jewelry repair, diamond setting and wax modeling casting in 1997, he went to Sri Lanka (Ceylon) – one of the world’s largest producing gemstone countries – to learn about gems first-hand. He was able to get into the mines and see how the sapphires and other gems are dug out of pits ranging in depth from 4 to 35 feet.

He worked with one of the country’s largest gem dealers and learned about grading, cutting and polishing stones and grew to understand the importance of choosing his own stones. When he returned to the United States he sold gems to jewelers from Key West to Bar Harbor. Marc returned frequently to Sri Lanka to find unique stones for his customers and his creations, and has since established a network of source providers for gemstones, diamonds, pearls and other jewelry elements.

Fishbone actually began his career as a certified welder, a trade he practiced for seven years upon graduating from high school. Following that, he operated his own antique furniture restoration and repair business for 15 years. According to Fishbone, “While the connection between these professions – welder, furniture refinisher, goldsmith – may seem tenuous, each skill has built upon the preceding one and I use the techniques learned over the years in the design work I do today.”

Black Orchid was named after a rare plant that Fishbone saw at a botanical garden in Sri Lanka. In addition to precious metal and gemstone jewelry, Black Orchid sells affordable beaded and shell jewelry from Bali, sterling silver jewelry, pearls, mermaid prints and oil paintings by the renowned Max Horbund.