Justin Diver grew up outside Lubbock, Texas, where long days, early mornings, and wide open country shaped his sense of the West. He now lives in Slaton and works out of a small private studio. His early interest in craftsmanship began in high school after hearing his father’s stories about longtime family friends, Matt and Kinney Pugh, makers who spent their lives in saddle shops and leatherwork. Those stories led Justin to pick up tools of his own, first in leather and eventually in the company of silversmiths, bit and spur makers, and other Western artisans.

Justin began studying silversmithing in April of 2021, and by February of 2022, it had become his full-time calling. His work centers on creating pieces with lasting presence, sterling silver meant to be worn, used, and carried forward. While his style respects traditional Western forms, his focus is less on perfect polish and more on honest, durable craftsmanship.

His connection to the West comes from years spent hunting, rodeoing, and listening to the stories his father told from his own rodeo days. That heritage is reflected in his work at the bench. Justin’s pieces have been shown in the Trappings of Texas exhibition at the Museum of the Big Bend, and featured in Cowboys & Indians Magazine placing him within a long tradition of makers who continue the craft of the West through handwork, story, and deliberate design.