Laura Medine of New York City-based Laura Medine Co. started out designing for her husband, Mois Medine, who owns the Mark Henry Collection, but now she’s branching out with her own line.
Fun fact: Medine’s daughter is Leandra Medine, the brains behind the fashion blog ManRepeller.com, and her son is Haim Medine, who recently launched his own collection of edgy and sophisticated fine jewelry called Khai Khai Jewelry—which will also be profiled on this blog in the coming weeks!
Jewelry designer Laura Medine
Company principals: Laura Medine is the designer, and Mois Medine is the company owner, as well as the owner of the Mark Henry Collection.
Headquarters: New York City
Year firm launched: June 2013 for Laura Medine (2003 for Mark Henry Collection)
Signature style: “My designs evolve around nature in general, and have a lot of flower and leaf motifs, as well as constellations, butterflies, bees, and other insects, and I use alexandrite in every piece because it’s a stone used heavily in the Mark Henry Collection, my husband’s firm, and I thought it would look beautiful paired with moonstone.”
Training, education, and design process: “My husband, Mois Medine, is a jeweler, and I’ve been helping him in his business since before we had our four children. I was working for him in merchandising and taking care of the buying, because he used to buy in Italy—that’s where I grew up and I speak the language. I also grew up in Milan as the daughter of a jeweler, which added to my knowledge of both jewelry design and fashion, having been brought up in a city that prides itself on fashion.
“I started designing my own jewelry two years ago, and now design all of it for the collection. Then I give it to my CAD technician and he creates the CAD images under my supervision. Most of our jewelry is cast, and the biggest portion of my line is rings. I design my own clasps for pendants and I buy chains on a roll from Italy and create stations or customize them according to the style of the jewelry being made.
“Our jewelry is made in the U.S. and in China, depending on the particular design. (I deliver the model to my husband for production and he makes that decision.) Mois has contracted with a factory in China exclusively for our own productions.”
Materials of choice: “We work in 18k gold and sterling silver with 18k gold. For gemstones, I work with diamonds, moonstones, and rutilated quartz—all good quality stones—and all my jewelry includes an alexandrite stone.”
Jewelry trade show exhibits: JCK Las Vegas
Accounts: “In the U.S. I have two to date, including Fivestory New York and London Jewelers, and abroad we have four, including Majesty Jewelers in St. Maarten.”
Starting retail price: “The starting retail price in 18k gold is $1,500.”
Retailer buy-in: “To make a statement, a store needs to carry a minimum of four to six pieces, making the minimum buy-in about $15,000–$20,000.”
Tulip Dangle earrings in 18k gold with 13.28 cts. t.w. bluish moonstone, 0.73 ct. t.w. natural alexandrite, and 0.59 ct. t.w. diamonds, $10,280
Bee ring in 18k gold with 3.35 cts. t.w. golden moonstone, 0.69 ct. t.w. natural alexandrite, and 0.42 ct. t.w. natural yellow and colorless diamonds, $9,300
Moon pendant from Celestial collection in 18k gold with 7.04 ct. t.w. blue moonstone, 1.53 ct. t.w. natural alexandrite, and 0.31 ct. t.w. diamonds, $13,600
Drop pendant from Pine collection in 18k gold with 15.9 ct. t.w. rutilated quartz, 1.11 cts. t.w. natural alexandrite, and 0.30 ct. t.w. diamonds, $7,950
Band from Waves collection in 18k gold with 4.01 cts. t.w. moonstone, 0.36 ct. t.w. natural alexandrite, and 0.11 ct. t.w. diamonds, $4,900
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