Dramatic Pieces That Range From Rock And Roll To Glamorous May 19, 2017SPOTLIGHTOff

 

I first met Fern Freeman during The Couture Show, one of the major jewelry trade shows in Las Vegas for retailers and press. It was approximately 10 years ago, around the time that delicate stackable rings and layering equally dainty necklaces in varying lengths was just starting to become one of the popular trends. Fern’s display was different—it popped with wider than wide cuffs, ultra long wrap around necklaces that could be worn in a multitude of ways. There were all styles of bold earring: large hoops, longer than long chandeliers, close to the ear styles that were reminiscent of the clips that were popular in the retro through mid-century, among houses such as David Webb and Belperron.

Since that time, Fern has never waivered from her design sensibility which she simply describes “pieces with a wow factor –those that make a statement—that are game changers for a woman’s wardrobe and that should call for attention when a woman walks into a room.”

“That is not to say that I think the jewelry should overpower or outshine the wearer—quite the contrary—it should help define who she is or who she wants to project when she is wearing a strong, large statement piece.” Fern explains.

One would expect nothing less from the straight talking, often witty New York City woman than dramatic, powerful pieces that can range from rock and roll chic to streamlined ultra geometric Deco-inspired designs.

“In my day to day dealings with my family, friends and everyone from casters to stone dealers, I don’t like to pull any punches. I say it like it is and try and keep the drama to a minimum. But when I am designing there in another side of me that goes for exaggeration in big, bold pieces that can sometimes be glamorous and other times, edgy,” says Fern.

 

In addition to her ‘wow’ approach to design, there are other aspects that remain constant. All of her gemstones and diamonds are of the highest quality. She rejects castings if they are not perfect and ensures that all of her pieces are impeccably finished.

Fern’s love for movement in jewelry has run through her collections ever since her beginnings in 2006. Her Fringe Collection which swing and sway in earrings and bib style chokers pieces continue to evolve each year and are some of the best selling styles on her line.

Most recently Fern added more geometric looks which play off of hexagon and octagon shapes in multi-station linear earrings or necklaces that start out as chokers and dip down to reveal multi-stations of octagon drops set with diamonds.

Fern designed knuckle, two finger rings, and hand bracelets early on before it swept through every price level of the fine jewelry market. She is a designer who has created many items before they were on trend just because “I was feeling it. “ she says. “I am inspired by the past—the swinging sixties with those ultra large hoops that Twiggy wore and the mod styles of Mary Quant—the chokers and bibs and the way the jewelry was as strong as the fashion yet worked together so well. I also deconstruct influences from the Art Deco movement in which the elongated lines truly enhanced the clean, streamlined feeling that the clothes evoked. I take in these historical references and then totally rework them in a way in which contemporary women can make each piece I design work for them.”

Although Fern’s aesthetic is all about making an entrance, she also is the first one to say, “You need to have a focal point when you are wearing jewelry. You can have one huge pendant or a ultra wide cuff or even two cuffs-one for each wrist, or earrings that dangle down to your shoulders, but you need to choose one of those pieces to wear at a time.”

Fern’s pieces are often accented by diamonds, but the collection she is working on at present will feature more colored gemstones. “It’s all a process and there is always a learning curve. I think I found my balance and my happy place whenever I can create a piece that can make even a simple GAP T-shirt look glamorous and the woman who is wearing it stand out and shine brightly.”

In Partnership with Fern Freeman