REINHOLD PERSONAL APPEARANCE & TRUNK SHOW

I just got back from Reinhold Jewelers in San Juan, Puerto Rico where I had quite the experience... both great and a little scary!
Reinhold Jewelers is one of the most beautiful and popular jewelry stores in San Juan. The store is inviting and the girls that work there are all so nice and sweet, each one is prettier than the next, and they really know their jewelry! The clients are very elegant and sophisticated, like the store's owner Marie Helene Morrow, whom I absolutely adore. Not only does Marie Helene love what she does, she is a true Designer Advocate.
The first day of the event was wonderful: we made quite a few sales, including a gorgeous new pair of Lapis Lazuli "Wrapped Caps" earrings (so new that I don't even have pictures of them!) and my "Ombre Cleopatra" ring that was sold right off my finger!! Unfortunately, I did not make it back to the store for the second day, as I ended up in the hospital with kidney stones! Not fun, but I am okay now. Marie Helene and the girls did a great job that day without me. In fact, they even sold my beautiful one-of-a-kind "Medusa's Melange Cuff"! I have to admit, I am a little sad about this sale, because I loved wearing that piece. It's always a little difficult to part with a one-of-a-kind.
All in all, it was a great show. I'm just disappointed that I did not get to meet more of the customers, as that is my favorite part of doing a personal appearance! I really love meeting the people that appreciate and collect my work, and I hope to get back to Puerto Rico at some point this year for another show!

The one-of-a-kind Medusa's Melange Cuff
(18k Pink, White & Green "Crushed" Gold)

globalDESIGN 2009

Pamela and I just exhibited at the globalDESIGN Show in Philadelphia, and we had a great time!

Cindy Edelstein, the show's organizer, has done a fabulous job of creating a relaxed, intimate atmosphere... this is not your normal trade show! globalDESIGN is located in a cozy room just outside the massive Buyer's Market of American Craft Show, and Cindy has gathered a wonderful array of designers from around the world! Refreshments were available all day at globalDESIGN; the Buyers loved that they could grab coffee and breakfast with us in the morning, or a glass of wine to wind down and the end of a long day.

It's also a great show for getting to know other people in the industry. During the slow times, Pamela and I chatted with the other designers and their sales reps... we even went out to dinner with a few of them! We always love seeing Aaron Henry and his father Conrad, Stephanie Albertson (and her dog Otis!), Rod Kosann (of Monica Rich Kosann) and the girls from Alex Sepkus (Marla and Candy)... We also made some new friends this year: our booth-neighbor, Janis Kerman (who is awesome), Melanie from Gurhan (also awesome!)... it's a very social show! Below are some snapshots from the show floor and our nights out... Enjoy!!

P.S. The black and white photo you see in the center of our showcase is Pamela's mother, Ann Froman, at age 17. You can see where Pamela gets her gorgeous looks!

Tucson Trip 2009, Part III: Spectrum Awards Gala

Our last night in Tucson, Pamela and I attended the 25th Annual AGTA Spectrum Awards Gala, so that Pamela could be presented with the Consumer's Choice Award for Business/Day Wear. When they called Pamela's name for her to walk to the podium, an image of the winning piece, her tri-color "Pearl Melange Lariat", was shown on a very large screen. (To Pamela's delight, she did not have to give a speech, she has stage fright.) After dinner, a great band played and we hung out with one of Pamela's best friends Erica Courtney & Shayne Kiesbuey dancing and taking silly pictures. It was a fun night!

Gala poster and Consumer's Choice Award Certificate

Pamela with Martin J. Hurwitz, CEO of MVI Marketing / Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council

Myself (Jilienne) and Pamela at the Gala

Pamela & her gal-pal Erica and their award-winning smiles!

Jilienne, Erica, Shayne, and Pamela, acting silly

Pamela & I posing with Manos from Alishan

Manos, you cad!

Shayne, Manos, Pamela & Erica

Tucson Trip 2009, Part II: The Social Scene

Larry Chasin, Marlene Richey, Cindy Edelstein, and Mark Schneider at the CDG Dinner

This year, our Tucson trip wasn't all about shopping for stones. Not only was Pamela going to be presented with an award (more about that in a minute), but a lot of our jewelry industry friends were in town and we took the opportunity to spend some time with them! Our first night in Tucson, we attended the CDG (Contemporary Design Group) Dinner at the historic Hotel Congress, where we mingled with new and old friends alike: Cindy Edelstein (of the Jeweler's Resource Bureau), Larry Chasin (of Jewelry Designer Finder), Marlene Richey, Alishan and his lovely wife Lydia, Aaron Henry and his father Conrad, Howard Hauben of Centurion, Paula Crevoshay and her husband Martin Bell... The next night, Cindy organized a cozy dinner at El Charro (a local favorite) with a different group of designers and industry professionals: Vicente Agor and Michael Pfeffer, Daniel Toledo and his wife... We all had a great time breaking the ice by telling our "Worst Jewelry Story"!

Lydia & Pamela at the CDG Dinner

Larry Chasin, Cindy Edelstein and Marlene Richey at the CDG Dinner

Vicente Agor, Cindy Edelstein and Michael Pfeffer, clowning around at El Charro

Fun night, lots of laughs!!

Tucson Trip 2009, Part I: In Search of the Elusive "It Stone"

A delicious array of candy-colored gemstones from Germany

It's that time of year again... the time of year when jewelry designers and gemstone enthusiasts flock to Tucson, Arizona in search of the elusive "It Stone." Okay, so maybe not all of the designers go to the Annual Tucson Gem Show with that purpose in mind, but Pamela does. Pamela walks her favorite shows with her eyes open for the stone that will inspire her new creations. A couple of years ago, she became fascinated with Rough Grey Diamonds, loving the way they looked with her tri-color gold, and created beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces! As always, Pamela looked at beautiful Rutilated Quartz (one of her favorite stones!) and gorgeous Labradorite... but the stone that really caught her eye is White Opal! What she fell in love with is probably not what you imagine when you think "opal." This gem material is opaque and very clean-looking, with little or no "fire"; it goes by the names Cocolong, Kokolong, or Cacholong, depending on who you ask. It's funny, all the trend reports are shouting "color!", and Pamela is drawn to a virtually colorless stone. In my years working with her, I've seen time and time again that Pamela has an uncanny knack for being ahead of the trends... mark my words: Cocolong is the next "It Stone."

Here are a few of the reference pictures we took on the first day of the Show. Pamela would review these images, and any notes we took, before making a decision on what she absolutely had to have...

yummy Labradorite and Rose Quartz cabochons...


...cool mirror-cut Rutilated Quartz shapes from Brazil...

Pamela's favorites from the German assortment (shown above)
Left-to-Right: Black Onyx, Cocolong, Pink Opal,
Turquoise, Aquamarine, and Rose Quartz