Jewelry Navigator

Emma Hoekstra is my guest this week on Jewelry Navigator Podcast.   Founder of Emma Elizabeth Jewelry, and winner of this year’s Halstead Grant, it seems everything is going well for her.   While we hope joy and celebration prevail in our lives, loss, grief, healing, and discovery remain unavoidable to the human experience.   After the loss of her boyfriend in a tragic car accident, Emma reclaimed her joy and purpose through a process of healing through jewelry design, which eventually led to the winning submission of this year’s Halstead Grant.   Using metal smithing and jewelry fabrication as forms of expression and cathartic therapy, Emma worked through her grief, and emerged with an ability to intertwine feeling, aesthetic, and dimension into jewelry collections defined by her signature tagline,, “Confident - Edgy - Unique”.   Emma’s courage and focus are inspirational, and her jewelry is unique and captivating. To see her latest collections and bespoke creations, visit emmaelizabethjewelry.com

This week’s Jewelry Navigator Podcast is unique and exciting!   If you love colored gemstone, or want to learn more about them from source to store, you’ll be mesmerized what today’s guest shares on Jewelry Navigator Podcast.   My guest has an established gem and jewelry store as well as a successful online gemstone and jewelry business.   Steve Moriarty is an accomplished gemstone cutter and jeweler in Crown Point, Indiana, about an hour southeast of Chicago.   His story begins with early childhood memories of collecting rocks in his wagon near railroad tracks close to his home.   His interest and passion in rocks and gems continued into college, when he took jewelry arts classes at Ball State University, then joined his older brother in a small gemstone importing business serving fine jewelry stores.   The quality of faceted goods they imported were often poor, so he learned how to cut and facet them himself.   From there, he began wholesaling to the industry for twenty years, and has a total

Now that we’re in the last quarter of the year, we need to capture the attention of our clients and customers to optimize income potential as jewelry brands and businesses. If you haven’t kept ahead of your marketing plans, it’s not too late! Kathleen Cutler of Bespoke Commerce, and CEO of Kathleen Cutler Strategy shared valuable strategies that will be easy to scale to the time and client list you already have.   Kathleen is a former bench jeweler and has worked in a myriad of roles within the jewelry industry.   We talk about what jewelry designers, brands and stores can do to navigate the current retail climate to merge independent jeweler’s efforts between online, location and connecting with their ideal clients. Kathleen shares 5 simple actions you can take to have a successful holiday sales season to set yourself apart with loyal clients who are happy to provide referrals and return for future jewelry purchases. The underlying purpose and focus of our visit is to show designers and brands how th

The Passion Behind Anastasia Simes’ Dramatic Jewelry Designs & How Her Frustration to Find the Perfect Gift Led to Her Jewelry Career   Anastasia is as lovely and captivating as her jewelry!   I found her background and story fascinating, and felt the dramatic aesthetic of her jewelry is a perfect fit for October!   I’m so grateful for her taking the time with me to visit for both the podcast and in person in her studio, because she’s a VERY busy woman! For jewelry images and show notes to the show, be sure to find the blog post on jewelrynavigator.com   Besides her jewelry projects, Anastasia’s most recent costume and set design can be seen in a unique presentation of Synetic Theater’s wordless interpretation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest on a stage of water!   You have to see it to understand - so please see the links in bio for more, and if you’re in the DC area, and love dance and theater, consider attending one of the performances - through October 20.   Synetic Theater is in Arlington,

Laryssa Wirstiuk of Joy Joya Jewelry Marketing Shares Tips for Successful Holiday Marketing For Jewelry Brands     Laryssa Wirstiuk of Joy Joya Jewelry Marketing is my guest this week on Jewelry Navigator Podcast.     She shares what small brands and designers can do to get in front of their ideal customers in time for the upcoming holiday gift season using tools and techniques you’re probably already using alone with others you may not have though of.   Laryssa shares the basics of what experiential marketing is, and what the main objective is. Emerging designers often handle most of the day to day business tasks, including keeping up with social media. Laryssa shares ways designers and brands can easily follow a schedule, making it easier to merge tasks and strategies. To see some of the tools Laryssa shares in the podcast, visit the coordinating blog post for show notes including her recommendations, and where you can find her and her podcast, Joy Joya Jewelry Marketing podcast. To learn more,

Tracy Trainor became a jewelry designer and maker as she meandered across the globe, and uses inspirations from her formative years in Japan, to the countryside of Ireland, where she currently resides.   What captures my attention with Tracy’s jewelry is the movement she coerces from wax carving, to casting, down to the texture.   When challenged to make a butterfly ring unique to her own aesthetic and creativity, she crafted a 3-dimensional butterfly that appears to be taking flight from one’s finger, complete with subtle veining in wings, to slight wind adjustments.   I’m delighted to share Tracy’s story today on Jewelry Navigator Podcast, and also, that she’ll be featured in Milan Jewelry week in the prestigious Artistar Jewels Show October 24-27.   You can find Tracy’s jewelry on her website, tracytrainorjewellery.com as well as on Facebook, and Instagram.   I wish Tracy a wonderful time and best of luck in Milan! Be sure to keep watching my Instagram feed for posts sharing Tracy’s jewelry, inc

Nayla Shami Shares Life’s Experiences Through Her Jewelry Designs   In last week’s episode, I mentioned a few jewelry destinations for upcoming podcast stories.   Today’s jewelry designer’s story is influenced by traditional hand fabrication methods passed down from generation to generation of Lebanese goldsmiths and jewelers.   Nayla Shami is a delightful jeweler and designer based in Lubbock, Texas.   Originally from Lebanon, Nayla’s jewelry story grew from her appreciation of jewelry gifts received as a child, then later, as the designer.   I met Nayla almost two years ago at a Metal and Smith Show in New York.   Her selection and use of colorful gemstones set in her unique animal and nature inspired jewelry commanded my attention.   In today’s conversation, Nayla shares stories of A Burro, A Herd of Goats, Dancing Jeweled Flowers, and Marbles Encaged in Gems, all from her collections inspired by joyful childhood memories, and return visits to Lebanon.   Nayla also shares how she nurtures t

Even though it’s small, jewelry carries big meaning and represents connections from our past, into our present, and future.   In this episode of Jewelry Navigator Podcast, I talk about showing your school spirit with jewelry, and I shared how I wear  color and theme relevant jewelry to the Penn State football games with pieces by CRASH Jewelry, Emily Kuvin Jewelry, and Mary van der Aa.   Staying with the school spirit theme, and for those who want alternatives to traditional class rings, we talked about the importance of choosing gemstones with high hardness to withstand long term wear, and we also talked about how quality speaks to the importance of the longevity of the piece.   I shared tips on jewelry wear and upkeep, like cleaning, care, and ring sizing.   Jewelry doesn’t last forever, but by choosing well made pieces, and making wise choices for stones, settings, and metals, jewelry can sustain wear for multiple generations.   I’m so grateful for all the artists, designers, and jewelers who gr

Elizabeth Moore’s New Collections Redefine Her Passion as an Independent Jewelry Designer   Our conversation starts from a mention she made I picked up on during our meeting at JA, where she mentioned the concept of the Circle of Fifths as an element in her new collection.   Elizabeth’s new collection explores a deeper meaning of symbols she feels strengthens the important connections in our lives.   And I love how she shares what she’s doing to navigate today’s retail landscape as an independent designer.   Elizabeth’s formal training was in performance arts, which led to a career in modeling.   Her perspective on fashion gives her a bird’s eye view of how trends work, and how to make the most impact with the mission she shares with her jewelry designs.

Jewelry Navigator Summer Jewelry Adventures: From Florida to New York Jewelry Week   Between summer vacations, I visited jewelry designers this summer, and this video shares my jewelry adventures with them!   There is a coordinating video on Jewelry Navigator’s website, as well as on YouTube.   Jewelers, Designers, & Stores included in my adventures are:   Mary van de Aa Anastasia Simes Lily & Co Jewelers Gigi Ferranti Jewelry K8 Jewelry Petite Baleine Jewelry Eden Presley Jewelry Elizabeth Moore Noor Shamma Sam Woermann M. Kita Designs Julie Lamb Emily Kuvin Jewelry   For the most up to date jewelry adventures and news, subscribe to Jewelry Navigator Podcast, and follow Jewelry Navigator on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!   For more information on any of the designers featured in the video, reach out to them, as I know they would be delighted to help you with your dream jewelry designs!   All images and videos by Brenna Pakes, Jewelry Navigator   Music: “Tag You’re It”

Today, I’m sharing my visit with Pam Waill, of Petite Baleine Jewelry,   She’ll be showing at the New York Now Show next month,  August 10-14 at the Javits Center in booth 1442.     Pam’s jewelry design business precipitated from her marketing background and an affinity for artistic creativity.   A serendipitous visit to a local boutique in her hometown of Katonah, NY, was the springboard for Petite Baleine Jewelry.   As a mother of teen and adult children, she works her jewelry business around her family and their dog, who you’ll hear in the background occasionally through the podcast, but I love that!   It shows that we don’t have to live in a perfect, sterile world to have both a career doing what we love and a personal, family life.   With the support of family and peers, we can enjoy both our personal and professional lives, which is just as exciting as it is empowering.   Pam is endearing and approachable, and it was a delight visiting with her.   Our visit begins as she shares how he

This week, my guest on Jewelry Navigator Podcast Guest is Asia Nail of iRock Gems! . She’s an active advocate for diversity and inclusion, and shares how it’s become her passion project. . After celebrating our independence, focusing on diversity is perfect timing. . As a working mom of two littles under 3, Asia is gracious, generous, and beautiful, and I’m looking forward to sharing her story this week!

Melissa Dusenberry presents informative gem and jewelry information in welcoming and interesting formats on her website and Instagram Feed, All the Brilliants. Her Gem Information Series on pearl caught my attention on her Instagram Feed. With the help of Eve Streiker, or Original Eve Designs, Melissa shared how pearls form, what makes them unique, and their many varieties. While Melissa’s mission of All the Brilliants is to educate consumers, her platform also serves women in the jewelry and science industries. For an easy to follow pearl buying guide, subscribe to All the Brilliants to receive yours! https://www.allthebrilliants.com/

In this second of a two part episode, “Debra Navarro's Leap of Faith Into an Award Winning Designer", Debra continues from how her Barefoot Collection ties in to the theme of her Watu Collection. Debra Navarro LInks Arms With Gem Legacy In this second part of my visit, Debra shared her connection with Gem Legacy, and how her East African gem excursions with Roger Dery, his wife, Ginger, and daughter, Rachel Dery revealed ties that paralleled her career path with lives within the mining communities she visited and enriched with the Gem Legacy team. Gem Legacy grew from initiatives that serve the mining communities rich in natural gem resources, but face challenges to access and process them. Debra's Watu Collection "Watu" means “people” in Swahili.Debra shares how each Watu design is named for a person significant to her during her visits to East Africa, and how Gem Legacy is an integral part to her jewelry career and business. Debra Navarro Jewelry Gives Back to Gem Legacy 5% of each purchase of Debra

I usually publish new episodes on Thursday. This week, my guest is Debra Navarro.   In February, 2019, she earned JCK’s Industry Choice Award for her Vincent Ring - a rough, but elegant statement ring set with a green berylj, sprinkled with natural color diamonds from her signature Watu collection.   Then, just recently, this Spring, InStore Magazine announced their In Store Design Awards, DEbra earned first place for her Hinged Jackson earrings set with over 23 carats of beaming scapolite and diamonds.   Funny enough, Gigi Ferranti, who was my guest last week on the podast, won 2nd place for her Rosetta Star ring in 18K rose gold with star ruby cabochons, round brilliant rubies, and pink and orange sapphire, and both designers are premiering in Vegas at Premier’s inaugural show this week at the Las Vegas Convention Center May 30 through June 3.   In this first part of two, Debra shares how she broke through roadblocks in her career, and how her collections are interpreted through her jewelry journey,

Gigi Ferranti, Graduate Gemologist and Jewelry Designer: How Fashion, Architecture, & Italian Heritage Influence Gigi Ferranti Jewelry   From an early age, Gigi has been influenced by Italian architecture and jewelry design.   As a fashion marketing and business major, Gigi began her career in management within a large retail clothing chain.   She owned and ran her own high end boutique for twenty years, dressing and supplying her clients for special events and personal styling.   After getting a taste of supplying her boutique with jewelry from the JA New York show, she transitioned into jewelry design, starting by acquiring her Graduate Gemology credentials from GIA New York.   She worked briefly for David Yurman selecting gemstones for their prominent pieces, then returned to GIA to learn jewelry design.   She launched Gigi Ferranti Jewelry in 2015, and hasn’t looked back!   I met Gigi last summer at the JA New York show, and next week, she’ll be showing in Las Vegas for the first time fo

Inside Jewelry Trade Shows & Marketing With Liz Kantner, Curator & Designer Consultant for the Premier Show Liz Kantner is the designer consultant to rising, independent designers for Emerald Exposition’s jewelry trade shows, JA New York, and is heading up their debut Premier Show in Las Vegas, May 30 through June 3rd, 2019. A few of the designers attending the show have been guests on Jewelry Navigator Podcast, like Samantha Jackson of Heavenly Vices Fine Jewelry, and Kate Hubley of K8Jewelry. Other designers featured are Emily Kuvin Jewelry, and Debra Halperin of May Came Home Jewelry, as well as industry insiders, Roger and Rachel Dery of Gem Legacy, and Roger Dery Gems. Liz had extensive experience with digital marketing before she started her journey in the jewelry industry. She moved to Denver from Philadelphia, and answered a Craig’s List ad for a social media and marketing position with Todd Reed Jewelry. She advanced to marketing manager for Todd Reed. She compared her time at Todd Reed

Jewelry designer, William Travis Kukovich, of William Travis Jewelry is my guest on the Podcast today.   He’s earned over twenty industry awards for his designs using colored gemstones, unique design elements, and metal combinations.   His jewelry is unique on its own, and is difficult to pin down with a description, and appeals to both men and women alike.   From his studio in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Travis creates custom designs for clients looking to define their own style.   He also operates outside the ordinary retail experience by offering in-studio, behind the scenes tours every Saturday to visitors and curious customers.   This podcast has been a work in progress between his busy schedule since last December, but I’m excited to be sharing his unique story here on Jewelry Navigator.   While we face life challenges, we all hope we can use them to better our lives, and Travis has done just that.   Between a traumatic childhood brain injury that’s impaired his ability to read and write.

Paul Bierker - Renaissance Jeweler & Founder of Geek Jewelry -featured image  Paul Bierker is the founder of Paul Michael Jewelry in Pittsburgh, as well as Geek Jewelry, a line of super hero and science fiction inspired jewelry. A kind of modern day renaissance jeweler, with equal parts inventor and anthropologist, Paul shares his insight on how he merges new design and maker methods with traditional bench skills and a genuine interest to create jewelry treasures based on what’s most important to his clients and their wishes. If you’re a fan of the Avenger movie series or Star Wars, Paul makes jewelry to celebrate your fandom. Other pop culture stories he uses for his jewelry inspiration are Dr. Who, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Anime, game characters, and more. I found his jewelry online a few years ago, and did one of my first blog posts about him and his jewelry. This weekend, we’re traveling to Pittsburgh, and I’ll be visiting Paul in his studio on Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborho

Besides Mother's Day and Father's Day, spring often brings many other reasons to celebrate, like graduations, weddings, anniversaries, and the birth or adoption of a baby. When given or received as a gift, or purchased for ourselves, jewelry allows us to reflect on our life celebrations long after the cake is gone, and streamers are torn down.  Do you have a special anniversary or birthday this year? Is something worth celebrating happening soon? Is someone close to you graduating from high school or college? Listen to the fabulous jewelry and accessory gift options by talented designers and jewelers featured in the podcast and coordinating post on Jewelry Navigator. Tour the galleries for unique jewelry and accessory gifts – either for someone special, or yourself! http://bit.ly/SpringFlingJewelryGuide