CASTRO SMITH is one of the best known intaglio engravers in the world. The Filipino-British carver of jewelry and art pieces is based in London, known for his intricate work on signet rings. The signet rings often sell out fast at Dover Street Market and other upscale merchant platforms. It’s also captured the attention of A-list celebrities such as Elton John, Jeremy Strong, the actor in HBO’s Succession, and Anya Taylor-Joy from Queen’s Gambit, who have gone straight to Smith to commission pieces.  From A-list actors to professional gamers, scientists to elite athletes, Smith’s work caters to that mystery point between owning something tactile and precious, and celebrating life’s milestones.  Because it’s the bespoke process that makes Smith’s work pregnant with meaning. When people come to him to mark events, celebrate anniversaries, or cement personal symbols on jewelry that’s when a custom piece transcends the material. It becomes an object of personal mythology. Something beyond jewelry. Something edging closer to totemism.   On this episode of The Dead Drop, Smith talked to me about growing up Eurasian, about his childhood in Cagayan De Oro and Newcastle, his love for aswang stories and other Filipino lower mythology creatures, and how this almost 5,000-year-old art of carving on gold and metal is finding a resurgence with some unlikely young clients.   Follow Castro Smith on IG : https://www.instagram.com/castrosmith/  Visit his shop to commission a custom piece: https://castrosmith.com/ *** Contains samples from Surrogate Prey, used with permission. This podcast is powered by Anchor.