Stories in Silver: Where It All Began

Stories in Silver: Where It All Began

My name is Ashley, and my story with silver started long before I ever chose it for myself. I grew up west of Cayley, surrounded by the kind of wide‑open Alberta landscape that shapes a person’s sense of grit and independence. My family has been working in silver for generations, long enough that the craft feels less like something I learned and more like something that’s always been there.

A Legacy That Started in the 1940s

My great‑grandpa, Roy Brooks Sr., was working as a silversmith in Cochrane as early as the 1940s. He set the foundation for what would become a family tradition: honest materials, western heritage, and work built to last. That legacy passed through the generations and eventually landed in my hands, though not always gracefully.

The Early Years: Running From the Craft

In high school, I buffed trophy buckles for my dad at a local company in High River. Technically, I was already inside the world of silverwork – just not in the romantic, artistic way people imagine. It was loud, dirty, repetitive work, and at the time it convinced me that silversmithing was the last thing I’d ever want to do. So I walked away and chose a completely different path.

A Career Built on Precision

Before Brooks 1953, I built a career in supply chain and logistics – a world of details, deadlines, and constant problem‑solving. It taught me discipline, organization, and how to keep a thousand moving parts aligned. Those skills still follow me every day, even if the work looks very different now.

More recently, I stepped into a part‑time administrator role with a local, family‑operated livestock trucking company. They’re a genuinely great group of hardworking people who care about their employees. The flexibility lets me support my family while continuing to build Brooks 1953 with intention.

Finding My Way Back

My return to silversmithing didn’t start with a plan. It started with a couple of necklaces and the realization that what made them special wasn’t the beads or the design. It was the silver detailing my dad was creating for them. That moment changed everything.

We picked up a saw and a torch and started learning together. What began as curiosity became a calling. The craft I once ran from became the craft I wanted to carry forward – not out of obligation, but out of genuine love for the work and the lineage behind it.

Growing the Studio: Stone Cutting, Customs, and Odd Jobs

This past year has been full of growth. Paul jumped in with both feet, spending weekends cutting, shaping, and polishing stones. What started as curiosity has become its own kind of artistry. We’re slowly building a process where the metal and the stone come from our own hands, a shared craft and another layer of meaning behind every piece.

I’ve also taken on a handful of custom orders I’m incredibly grateful for, along with the occasional odd job – like restoring a 1990 CPRA Calf Roper Champion buckle for a coworker’s friend. Every custom piece feels like an honour. When someone trusts me with their story, their memory, or their vision, it reminds me why this work matters.

Passing the Torch — Literally

One of the most meaningful parts of this journey has been watching my daughter step into the studio with us. Recently, she picked up the torch for the first time and started melting silver balls – the tiny embellishments that finish many of our pieces. It’s a small detail in the grand scheme of silversmithing, but it carries a lot of weight.

Seeing her hands in the work, learning the same way I did, adds another generation to a craft that’s already been carried through so many.

Coming Full Circle in Cochrane

And in a moment that feels like the past meeting the present, we’ll be attending the Tack & Artisans Western Market on Sunday, May 24th from 10 AM–4 PM at the Cochrane Ag Society – invited by “Trader Dave”, who actually knew my great‑grandpa Roy. Bringing my work back into the same community where he once shaped silver feels like closing a loop I didn’t even know was open.

Why I Built Brooks 1953

Brooks 1953 is my way of honouring where I come from while building something that reflects who I am today. I want my work to feel solid, meaningful, and lived‑in, the kind of pieces that become part of someone’s story.

And none of this would be possible without the support of the people who have stood beside me in every way – emotionally, practically, and financially. Paul, who not only dove headfirst into stone cutting but has backed this dream with a level of commitment that still humbles me. My dad, whose hands taught me the craft and whose belief in me has shown up in countless ways. And my mom, who was the one that nudged me to make that very first batch of necklaces – the spark that set all of this in motion. Their support is the backbone of Brooks 1953, and I’m endlessly grateful for it.

What I Hope You Feel

When you wear a Brooks 1953 piece, I hope you feel the care, time, and intention behind it. I hope it becomes something you reach for not just because it’s beautiful, but because it feels like it was made with purpose.

This is more than a craft for me. It’s a way of building a life. One that’s slower, more grounded, and connected to the people I love.