Molinari loves pearls, and she particularly likes setting little stones and bits of gold into them. The effect is stunning.
Lent obsesses over his jewelry–look closely and you’ll see what I mean. The pieces are meticulously detailed because he works with dies (die-struck and fabricated jewelry). Look at the little legs on these pearl earrings! They are anatomically correct. He’s also an instructor at FIT, has a German Master Goldsmith degree, and is an industrial designer and sculptor. Lent has been making jewelry for 30+ years, but has a very exclusive following because of the heirloom quality of his work. Get reacquainted with him if you’re a luxury jeweler with consumers who want only the most unique pieces. Suggested retail prices start at $4,000.
Christie Frantz, Sugarman-Frantz Designs
These pin/pendants are a perfect example of why I love pearls: Nature made these Chinese freshwater pearls beautifully imperfect, and designer Christie Frantz had the vision to see a unique design based on the shape of the pearls. Pins feature precious stone accents in 18k gold and range in retail price from $5,500 – $9,000. The birds are pheasant, hummingbird, sparrow, and swan.
Cahoon’s designs are based on a woven linkage system featuring Etruscan chain made in widths varying from 1.8 mm to 8 mm, crafted in fine silver and 22k gold. Links are fused, no solder is used. Because making this jewelry is so labor-intensive, Cahoon offers some necklaces with tiny Akoya pearls in natural cream and dyed peacock colors to bring down the cost a bit. Shown are necklaces that retail for $2,530 and $1,815 (peacock color). Her supplier for these hard-to-find sizes of Akoyas? Stachura in Uxbridge, Mass.
A yummy chocolate pearl–a dyed Tahitian-set in Froman’s ‘crushed’ (like crushed velvet) 18k pink and yellow gold.
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