In the modern world, the skills Nelson learned then are rarely utilized, and even more rarely studied. It is no wonder then, that Nelson takes great pride in having learned them, becoming a master goldsmith at age 18 and carrying those skills forward to his work today. Worried that those time-honoured techniques have been surpassed in importance by mass-production methods, Nelson sees his old-guard methods both as the continuation of a legacy and the best path to fine craftsmanship.