Meet Majesta of MajestaM!

Majesta in her Workshop

Samples of MajestaM Projects

My Own Rose Quartz Pendant from Majesta's Class

I have seen the MajestaM booth at nearly every trade show I have attended, but recently I took a cabochon class from Majesta herself and had the most lovely experience as she patiently showed me the step-by-step process, all the while cuddling and rocking her baby twins, taking care of her father-in-law who recently took a nasty fall and watching over her two older children! Talk about SUPER WOMAN! Through the minor chaos, Majesta maintained such a sense of joy and serenity that I left feeling I had met a friend. It turns out that she is a second generation jeweler. Here's what she had to say:

My mother grew up on a farm deep in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky on the outskirts of a town called Hindman. She was influenced by the arts and crafts of the Mountain folk. She went on to Rice University and studied English and History. After meeting my father who was in the Air Force, after WWII they were stationed in Japan for three years. My mother was fascinated by the history of the Japanese Pearl. Being from a small farm in Kentucky, Japan was a new world that made her realize her passion for jewelry design using the pearl as her main focus. My mother passed away at the age of 80 I spent the last years of her life taking care of her. I felt it to be my passion to carry on the love my mother had of jewelry design.

How would you describe your personal creative style and where do you find inspiration for your designs?

My personal style is based on aesthetics and elegance. I am not an abstract person; therefore, abstract is not a style that I pursue. I enjoy classic, beautiful lines. When I create a wrap for a stone or a cabochon. I am simply creating an elegant frame to a piece of nature's art.

I draw inspiration from the materials that I am working with; whether it be chain, filigree findings or the metal I choose. Then I find the proper beads or stones that will be complimented by these materials.

Tell us about forming Majesta M? How did the company start and what is it's focus?

Majesta M started as a design studio. I was designing and selling mostly to boutiques across the US. I was designing a collection around gunmetal chain and findings. After a few months of using ghastly chemicals to give us the gunmetal results, my husband, Jeff and I decided to have the chain and findings electroplated. Well, this forced us into having 100,000 pieces of each component done at a time. So we decided to have it done along with thousands of feet of chain. I was unable to locate gunmetal products so we launched the gunmetal chain and components end of the business. That line became an overnight success. We listened to our customers wants and did whatever it took to fulfill that need. Later, sterling silver, gold filled, copper, brass, tools, findings and such followed. Demonstrating how to use our products at trade shows lead to a demand for my teaching our customers.

Our focus.

A. Give 100% customer service and treat our customers as a growing family.
B. Know our products inside and out.
C. Educate our customers
D. Introduce the latest products and demonstrate them to all willing to listen.

The talk of the trade is the huge rising price of silver. How do you think it will affect the industry?

The rise of silver is a huge concern for us, as is the price of gold. We believe the price will come back down after the end of the year when confidence in a new president takes over. If that person makes improving our economy a priority, you will see a steady drop in gold and silver.

What do you see as the trend in jewelry design?

The trend throughout this year will be a major swing towards copper, gunmetal, silver and gold plate, as well as other alternative metals during this period of such high prices for silver and gold.

You run your company, design jewelry and teach classes--what is most enjoyable for you?

If I had to pick one, teaching would probably be the most fulfilling. My students come back again and again. This enables me to create a bond and friendship with them. I enjoy seeing them explore their creative side. A lot of my students have careers that don't allow them to explore their creative side. I enjoy meeting people from all walks of life. A family business is about building a relationship with your customer base.

What advice do you have for fledgling jewelry designers?

My advice for all up and coming jewelry designers is to find a supplier that you trust; someone that backs their products 100%. Don't sacrifice quality for rock bottom pricing. Go the highest end you can afford. You will never be able to compete with the Walmarts and Cookie Lee imported junk jewelry, so always use better materials than they do and make that your selling point.

The folks at MajestaM seem to me to reflect, in many ways, the best traits of our business; honest, hard-working, sincere and friendly, with true concern and care toward both designers and hobbyists. I wish them well!

Thanks for stopping by.

Sally

Todd Reed: Raw Diamonds, Raw Elegance

Todd Reed In Studio

I was thumbing through a past edition of Ornament magazine and found an ad that stopped me in my tracks. The ad showed a SIMPLY STUNNING gold cuff bracelet by designer Todd Reed, so I headed over to his website, http://www.toddreed.com/ and was confronted by some of the most beautiful pieces I have ever seen. He specializes in creating pieces that incorporate raw diamonds for a beauty that stands alone.

For all his success and artistry, Todd Reed is a self taught goldsmith and metalsmith--a fact I find astonishing just on its own. With so many tools and techniques, just how does one learn these skills by trial and error? Sheer brilliance is my guess. I started our interview by asking Todd about this...

What challenges and benefits do you think you gained by "going it alone"?

Information was difficult to get, so I learned everything alone. A benefit is that I never learned what not to do in art or business.

You are perhaps best known for your use of raw diamonds. Where did this idea come from and why do you use this form of the diamond?

This idea came from a need to push society into looking at value in a new way; to challenge current social norms.

What does the raw diamond reveal that is different from the faceted version?

Nature’s version of perfection, beauty in a raw and innocent way. There are so many surfaces, colors, and textures that there are infinite examples of nature’s limitless versions of perfection.


How would you describe your style?

Raw Elegance.

Where do you find your inspiration?

My natural environment and my market decide what will be made.

I find your work beautifully subtle. What do you find most challenging about achieving this effect?

The subtle nature of my work is the work; it must always be present. I have millions of ideas that will never be made. That is difficult.

What is most challenging for you as an artist to also spend the time an energy necessary to make your work successful as a business?

The most challenging thing is to mature and grow as a boss and business owner. Relationships alone need work and a growing company means adding and growing in relationship building. It is quite wonderful to have this challenge.

You teach, create and show...what do you get from each of these aspects of your work?

From teaching I get supporting community and giving to a healthy cause. Creating is what I call the “guts”, instilling to all happiness and joy and making the ideas. Showing is a culmination of efforts. The ultimate prize is the pride I get from taking our work to a show and selling it!

What advise do you have for other jewelry designers and beginners?

Go with passion.

Todd's work is in galleries throughout the country...his website lists them all---too many to list here. And, from his website, here's some information about upcoming shows:

We have a short, upcoming show at I. Gorman in Washington, DC, from March 21-22. The Smithsonian Craft Show is always a pleasure, too; it runs from April 10-14 at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. We are getting pumped up for the Couture show in Las Vegas. Look for us there from May 28-June 2 at booth #216. If you are on the East Coast, visit us at the JANY Couture show this summer from July 27-30 at booth #140.


I'm heading to NYC for a business trip, but I plan to stop by DVVS Fine Jewelry in the Chelsea district to see some of Todd's pieces up close. I noticed there are many other amazing jewelry artists at DVVS so look for some of of my favorites in future postings!


Thanks for stopping by!

Sally

Holly Rittenhouse: Subtle Discovery

Holly Rittenhouse in Her Studio

Thanks for stopping by...

One of my favorite Los Angeles boutique stores is freehand located on Third Street among some of the best haunts in town. I love to stop in and gaze at the beautiful jewelry, ceramics, fibers and wood pieces...and the staff is always friendly and accommodating. Not long ago, I went in search of some new jewelry designers and found several works on display that knocked my socks off including the work of Holly Rittenhouse. I am finding that many jewelry designers started their studies and careers in fine art....it turns out that Holly is no exception; originally studying fine art and sculpture, but then turning her focus to jewelry design. Here's what she had to say:

You studied fine art and sculpture, but then chose to focus on jewelry design. Tell us what attracted you to this form of expression?

Jewelry design has all the ingredients of making art, but it’s more fun and rewarding because I can focus solely on aesthetics, form, and function. When making fine art, at least with my background, the emphasis was always on content, then aesthetics. But then I got older and my focus changed. I love jewelry design because I can put my energies into combining form and function with aesthetics.

How would you describe your style?

Contemporary to begin with. I would like to be able to say Modern too, however I think I may not fall into that description strictly. Geometric perhaps, and also casual. I’ve always found it hard to stick to one “style” because a lot of things interest me.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I do look to the Modernist jewelers from the Mid-Century. I also make note of how mechanisms work, on a simple scale, both man-made mechanisms and those in the natural world. And I can’t help but see jewelers working all around me who make the most inspiring work! I love to see it.

I find your work beautifully subtle. What do you find most challenging about achieving this effect?

Why thank you. I would say that ultimately the way it looks is a reflection of the way I solve problems and search for solutions through elements I find intriguing. I self edit A LOT. I think I must be searching for just that particular piece of jewelry that has an element of discovery to it; and you have to get up close to find it. The search is the challenge.

What do you do when you struggle with inspiration?

I have all these parts and bits on my workbench left from unfinished thoughts, or 3-dimensional note-taking if you will, which I use as building blocks for the next group of pieces. I also look at books, or go online to a website called Metalcyberspace. It is an amazing resource of people and information. It has a huge directory of jewelers’ websites. Sometimes, too, I just get out of the studio for a little while; take in new sights and sounds so-to-speak.

What is most challenging for you as an artist to spend the time an energy necessary to make your work successful as a business?

This is something I’m just learning about and I am finding it very challenging indeed to think of what I make as a business. Coming from the fine art background I have, I find it interesting that the things I’m creating cross the line into product. This is a counter intuitive intersection to me. The other challenge is one everyone knows about, organizing time. I have to remember not to let all the tasks involved with business creep in on the highest priority, making the jewelry itself. So I’ve needed to identify the times of day I’m best at being creative and use those to the best advantage. The rest of the hours, p.m. mostly, I use to take care of everything else. My biggest challenge is that I’m not a“p.m.” person.

What do you think are the best ways to market one-of-a-kind jewelry?

My first thought is to say through galleries that promote the Arts and Crafts. Right now, I think that is where people are best able to appreciate and understand the context of this unique jewelry. But it would be nice to come up with new venues for the Arts and Crafts; new ways for people to come across them. Again, I see it as that intersection of art and product/merchandise. It’s new to me and I’m giving it a lot of thought.

You recently tried marketing your jewelry to wholesalers. What was that experience like?

It was eye opening! Of course it was also my first event like it. Up until now I have sold my work only on consignment through galleries.The ACC Baltimore show presented me with a whole new set of variables. I enjoyed being a part of the community of Artists and Craftspeople for that week. Most fascinating is seeing/watching who buyers are, what they look for, what they ask about. Putting yourself in their shoes, you understand that they have looked at 750 booths (overloading!) in a day or two and are making decisions about where to put their money for the coming year–and not a good economic one either.

What advise do you have for other jewelry designers?

Set yourself apart. Advise I need to always keep in mind too.

Holly's amazing work can be seen by May in the following locations:

Mimosa in Saratoga Springs

Ozworks Gallery in Cold Spring

An American Craftsman Gallery in Slate Hill

Pistachios in Chicago

Cockerill in Cinncinati

Artswork in LeClaire, Iowa

Silver Works and More in Lawrence, KS

Discoveries in Tustin, CA

Holly also has plans to do retail shows this year such as the La QuintaArts Festival march 14-16 and the Tuscon 4th Street Spring Fair in April.

In the Los Angeles area, Holly's work is also shown at the Pasadena Museum of History and be sure to visit her website: http://www.hollyrittenhouse.com/

Enjoy!

Sally

34 Years of Ornament Magazine--Robert Liu and Carolyn L.E. Benesh-Co-Editors

Robert Liu and Carolyn Benesh

Ornament magazine celebrates its 34th year, celebrating and studying how we, as human beings, adorn ourselves today and in the past.

Here's what co-editors, Robert Liu and Carolyn Benesh have to say in the magazine about their vision:

Ornament celebrates a unique art because its context is the human being. Our creative energies are drawn from an appreciation that what we make to adorn ourselves is a beautiful and meaningful expression of life. Our vision is rich in contemporary, ethnographic and ancient history, anthropology and archaeology. We believe that we can help sustain a healthy and compassionate society when we know more about our and other cultures. As a respected international resource for over thirty years, Ornament encompasses the world. From the beginning, we set ourselves the exciting challenge of documenting the art and craft of personal adornment. Ornament demonstrates the richness and diversity of this vast subject with a stunning display of creative works.With informative profiles, we support emerging and established artists in jewelry and wearable fiber who create artworks that stimulate and invigorate us today and are a profound and exquisite legacy for the years ahead.
Knowledge shapes the present and future. We renew our bonds both with the recent past and antiquity, revealing or tracing historical roots and customs, aesthetics, materials and technical processes. Ornament exists to educate and inform.

Here's to 34 more years!

Sally

Robert Liu-Co-Editor of Ornament magazine Lectures at Bead Society of Los Angeles

Robert Liu, Ph.D Lectures at Bead Society of Los Angeles on Prehistoric Mosaic Jewelry

Cover of Ornament magazine--Prehistoric Mosaic Jewelry Issue: 30.2 2006

Example of Prehistoric Mosaic Pendant

It was such a pleasure to attend a lecture by Ornament co-editor, Robert Liu at the Bead Society of Los Angeles meeting on 3/5/08. His topic focused on prehistoric mosaic jewelry from the Southwestern region of the U.S. In studying these very early forms of adornment, Robert was fortunate to gain access to specimens from the collection of the Pomona College Museum of Art and the Arizona State Museum.

Most interesting was the notion that prehistoric Hohokan people of Arizona, traveled upwards of 300-400 miles, just to gather marine shells from the Pacific coast. Needless to say, these shells with turquoise from the area, were highly valued; formed into intricate mosaic pendant designs.

Although some of the most beautiful pendants represented birds, the pendants were most often created into figures representing frogs. Some were realistic while others were more abstract. It's not clear why frog figures were so prominent, but their association with water, fertility and transformation in an arid climate may have been a factor (not to mention that one species, the Sonoran Desert toad, has gland secretions that have hallucinogenic properties).

These prehistoric people had few tools, yet they were remarkable crafts people, able to create truly exquisite adornments--a testiment to what humans can accomplish when it seems important and adds meaning to their lives.

Sally

The Bead Society of Los Angeles Supports Juried Design Contest

The Bead Society Logo

I attended a great meeting of the Bead Society of Los Angeles last night. Our speaker was Robert K Liu, Ph.D, co-editor of Ornament magazine. It was a fantastic lecture...more on that to come!

There was also an announcement that the Bead Society of Greater Washington is hosting the first annual international juried design contest to celebrate beads and beadwork titled, "Celebrating Beads the journey of". All proceeds will benefit the Bead Museum located in downtown Washington, DC. Prizes awarded in multiple categories and the deadline is July 25, 2008! Sounds exciting! I can't wait to see the great work submitted from around the world!

And if you live in and around Los Angeles, don't forget to stop by the bi-annual Bead Bazaar featuring antique & contemporary beads plus designer jewelry, textiles, ethnic arts & books. It's on April 27th from 10AM-5PM.

Coming up soon--an overview of Robert Liu's lecture on amazing prehistoric mosaic jewelry from the Southwestern part of the United States...

News from Gem Faire--Costa Mesa, CA

Gem Faire--Costa Mesa, CA

You And Me Findings Booth

It's always interesting to see the wares at the big gem shows. I try to attend one at least every three months, so...this weekend I headed south from LA to Costa Mesa, CA. to take in the Gem Faire at the Orange County Fairgrounds. I got a free weekend pass, courtesy of You And Me Findings in San Gabriel who had one of the busier looking booths at the show.

It might have been my imagination, but the show didn't seem as packed as I've seen in the past. The aisles were actually pretty clear and walkable versus the pandemonium I've seen at some of the other shows. Maybe it's the price of gas to get there (heading up to $4.00 a gallon although this is apparently news to "W") or the almost sickening rise in the price of silver....19.81 as of the close of the market on 2/29.

But, I took a great cabochon class from Majesta---one of the show vendors....more on Majesta M coming soon!