When Jewelry Design Becomes a Second Career

The vast majority of famous jewelry houses were founded by the men and women who grew up in the trade. Other well-known names came about when the adult children of famous artisans married and set up shop themselves. A third group of artisans does not have a long history in the jewelry trade.

They may have never sat with a goldsmith or took time to learn the art of stone cutting. They are the artists who discovered their love for jewelry making quite by accident. What sets them apart from the hobbyists is an uncovering of raw talent that has persuaded countless customers and clients to pay good money for their products.

Case in point is ex-Martha Stewart TV producer Ronit Tarshis. The CT Post reports that the founder of Lera Jewels rediscovered he love for craft work and turned it into a well-received line of jewelry. While Tarshis loved her work with Stewart, she also felt the tug of motherhood. Wanting to be home more with her kids, she turned to jewelry design as a vehicle to make it happen. Her peers agree that Lera jewels display the kind of understated elegance that makes them suitable for casual wear or for formal occasions.

Other artisans have had similar experiences. Drawing from life experience, Debra Groat quit her public service job to design jewelry from seeds. The Detroit Free Press notes that Groat grew up in a family of farmers. While she never followed into their footsteps, she shared their deep love for the crops and seeds. The founder of Saverine Creek Heirlooms, the artisan harvests heirloom seeds and turns them into necklaces, earrings and other jewels.

Of course, there is a lot more to it than that. It took Groat about 11 years to perfect the art of growing, harvesting, drying, preparing and drilling the seeds until they met her strict standards. So far, she has not made a big profit off her crafts. That said, she is only a discovery away from having her work go bigger. The jewels are gorgeous, feature stunning colors and integrate into settings beautifully.

Another artisan was already a well-known name in the fashion industry. Elle UK tells the tale of model Lily Cole whose passion for Amazon rainforest preservation led to her involvement with a number of environmental organizations. In turn, this involvement led to a trip into the rainforest, where she met women who worked with rubber. Seeing this work, Cole was inspired to create accessories from the material. She currently sells her creations via Stylist Pick. He Amazonian wild rubber and metal bracelets are so popular that they frequently sell out.

There you have it. The back stories of the new jewelry design houses are often as fascinating as the pieces themselves. When you are in the market for new jewels or conversation pieces the next time around, give one of the newcomers to the scene a chance. You will be pleasantly surprised by the quality and craftsmanship that these artisans bring to the table.

At Peter Suchy Jewelers we are experts at vintage and estate jewelry and we love touting successes from our local community! We invite you to stop by and visit our showroom located at 1137 High Ridge Road in Stamford Connecticut.

Or, head on over to our eBay store where you’ll find fabulous jewelry pieces to choose from including diamonds, sapphires, rubies and more!

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