Meet the maker
This is Kate Montabone, the silversmith behind Seven J Silver. Kate is a wife and mother of two, living in beautiful Old Snowmass, Colorado. Together with her husband Jeff, she resides and works on the McCabe Ranch, a working cattle ranch.
When not silversmithing, Kate looks after the kids and functions as "ranch wife", which includes the duties of feeding bottle calves, branding, irrigating, and riding horses. Her experiences working on ranches and her love for the western lifestyle inspire her designs. Each piece is crafted by hand with careful attention to detail to capture her rustic style.
"It's a beautiful thing, being able to produce something with my own hands that promotes the western lifestyle. I've always had an artistic side and it's been wonderful to me to be able to express that in a way that ties into the life I live with my family."
Horsewoman to Artist
Kate's love for the western way of life began at a young age. Growing up riding and showing western horses led her to obtaining a degree in Equine Science from Colorado State University. Kate worked on cattle and horse operations before moving to Snowmass with her husband in 2016.
Kate is passionate about preserving the western way of life and creating jewelry that captures the essence of the cowboy and ranching heritage. When she's not working on her craft or helping out on the ranch, Kate can be found spending time with her family, gardening, enjoying the outdoors, or riding horses.