Lots of jewelry designers talk about going through their grandmother’s jewelry box when they were younger, but in the case of Lisa Salzer, her grandmother Elizabeth Rock Frost’s entire inventory of antique and vintage jewelry helped inspire her career.
Elizabeth “Betty” Frost was well-known as the manager of Park Place Estate Jewelry in Lambertville, N.J., serving customers for decades and giving Salzer regular glimpses into jewelry design, what clients gravitate toward, and what Salzer felt resonated most with her creatively.
Many of the charms featured in Salzer’s new collaboration with Jared, Charm’d by Lulu Frost, are modeled on vintage pieces she saw in her grandmother’s collection and her store. Just debuted Nov. 13 in stores and online, Charm’d by Lulu Frost represents “a touch of excellence” in craftmanship, Salzer says.
“I love looking to the past to respect traditions because what we as humans have already created is quite remarkable,” Salzer says. “It’s my job to sift through the past and find the very best, the most beautiful, and the clearest symbols in jewelry tradition and bring them to the forefront in a clean and modern way, so people of today can see the reflections of themselves and their values in my work.”
With Charm’d by Lulu Frost, customers can put together a necklace with meaning for their own lives, interchanging charms to create a different look with each wear and, if desired, adding more over time.
The charms are made from 10k gold and feature pearls, diamonds, and other gems, including 12 birthstones, in numbers, initials, and a variety of shapes and symbols, among them heart, shamrock, anchor, feather, and hand palm. Two types of chains are available: box and paper clip. Prices in the collection range from $250 to $2,800.
Lulu Frost, a brand Salzer founded in 2004, sells vintage jewelry and Salzer’s original designs, at trunk shows and online. Her charms in shapes like numbers (in the font used for room numbers at New York’s Plaza hotel), shells, stars, and more are beloved and collectible, she says.
Jared vice president of merchandising Ann Grimmett tells JCK that Charm’d by Lulu Frost meets her company’s goal of offering exclusive fine jewelry at accessible price points. The collection’s debut during the holiday season gives customers sentimental gift options, Grimmett says.
“The locket, symbol, and birthstone charms featured throughout this collection were designed to be a thoughtful celebration of each shopper’s unique story and add a personal touch to every gift,” she says.
Salzer says her grandmother’s influence is at the core of the collection, as she loved a thoughtful, personal gift. (Salzer also honored her grandmother by using her last name in her company’s name; Lulu is Salzer’s childhood nickname.) The designer calls charms “the ultimate heirloom” that never goes out of style. Some of Salzer’s favorites from Charm’d by Lulu Frost, she says, are the turquoise and pearl heart and the decadent egg studded with diamonds.
“[My grandmother] taught me that jewelry is a symbolic means for expressing our emotions, hopes, and dreams. I love to create, wear, and give charms like initials, numbers, and symbols because they resonate universally with so many people,” Salzer says. “My design philosophy is to create the jewelry elements that allow my clientele to tell their own personal story by being the designer themselves. So ultimately, Charm’d by Lulu Frost is all about personal empowerment.
“I’m thankful that people open their hearts to me and allow their inner beauty to shine,” she says. “The world needs so much healing, and human connections, even if fleeting, are very powerful.”
Top: Jared is now selling Charm’d by Lulu Frost, a collection of two chains and more than 50 different charms. (Photos courtesy of Jared)
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