From my introduction to Jewelry’s Shining Stars: The Next Generation, 45 Visionary Women Designers, (ACC Artbooks, July, 2024)

“It delighted me when I began to delve into the hearts and souls and, sometimes amusing, behind- the-scenes stories of these independent, irrepressible and spirited women who I included in this book. They  create jewelry as a form of adornment, but, even more enthusiastically, they create jewelry as a means to empower the wearer with their designs. And I think back to the female pioneers—Jeanne Boivin, Juliette Moutard, Suzanne Belperron, Coco Chanel, Jeanne Toussaint, Elsa Peretti, Paloma Picasso and Angela Cummings—who first tore down the boundaries of what was once, ironically, a male-dominated industry, and who paved the way for those featured in this book. It seemed the perfect time to feature today’s strong, formidable, emerging, and independent females at different stages of their careers, influential in crossing the boundaries of art, function, and wearability.

This compilation of talented women who hail from around the globe, have learned techniques to shake up classic jewelry codes and break with tradition.

Some work with their own hands, whether schooled or self-taught, challenging themselves at the bench; they have become proficient in the art of enameling, engraving, creating nuanced textural details in wax models, or in CAD. Still others have found a handful of artisans who work with them to reinvigorate the old school into relevant yet enduring pieces that offer a glimpse into their different aesthetics, cultures and how it distinguishes and reflects their jewelry designs. No matter the approach, technique, or sensibility, all the designers in the book are creating a jewelry legacy for their clients.

The women who have been chosen for this book are innovators in their own right and have liberated the way we view and buy jewelry. They are helping to form the taste, styles and standards of the self-purchaser, women who have the confidence to buy jewelry for themselves and prefer gifts that connect to the soul and character and how it relates to a significant time in their lives.

With boldness and presence in their work, and a reverence for iconic role models and quality and techniques, these 45 talents are creating today’s collectibles and shaping jewelry’s future.”

From now through December 2024, I will be highlighting  designers from the pages within the book and I hope you will be as excited to meet them as I was to write about them.