Mark graduated in 1970 from Texas Tech University with a degree in Architecture. During college and in the following years, various galleries represented his paintings and sculptures. The same year he opened his architectural office in Scottsdale, Arizona, Mark also began making jewelry. The sculptural shapes and use of vibrant inlay color in his jewelry designs are an expansion and blending of his diverse artistic background. Although Mark's designs have evolved, his design philosophy has remained the same. Simplicity. Always searching for what is essential and beautiful, whether that be geometrical shapes or flowing curves. Mark has inlaid every material imaginable. However, for many years his material of choice has been opal. Over the years, he has established lasting relationships with the elite of Australia's opal miners and dealers to ensure that he continues to obtain the best opal available. "There is no other material that I know of that is as exciting to work with as opal. Its variations of light, pattern and color are endless. To take what once belonged to the earth and give it new life in my creations is very gratifying. Jewelry is mankind's most basic adornment. Jewelry is the vision of the artist, transformed by the person that wears it. This art form becomes an unspoken projection of each individual's personality." The sophisticated use of opal, precious and semi-precious stones and the unsurpassed precision and quality of the inlay are the hallmarks of The Hileman Collection. Mark's sons, John and Matthew, are involved every day in various aspects of the jewelry making, culminating in a unified effort for perfection in every piece of jewelry created.