Even as a little girl, I always kept my eyes open for sparkly rocks. Today, I spend hours examining thousands of gemstones to find those that meet my high standards for quality, color and faceting. I choose Grade A gemstones such as pink and green amethyst, aquamarine, pink sapphire, ruby, green and red garnet, lapis lazuli, citrine, chalcedony, and lemon and smoky topaz to bring my fine handcrafted jewelry designs to life.
I founded Hi-Strung Designs in 2006, after more than 25 years in Corporate leadership roles for high-profile retail and fashion brands in New York and San Francisco. It had always been my dream to one day launch my own business and as I became more skilled at the art of jewelry design, and continued to receive compliments on my pieces and encouragement from others that I should be selling my designs, my dream became more strongly focused on wanting to someday design my jewelry line on a full time basis. At the end of 2005, I made the decision to resign from the Corporate world. This is now my full time "job" and business, and I love what I do! Since January 2007, my designs have been available for purchase on my website at www.hi-strungdesigns.com I'm honored to have had a number of my pieces featured in online fashion websites and gift guides.
In my studio in the San Francisco Bay Area, I design and carefully hand-craft unique earrings and necklaces. In addition to precious and semiprecious gems, my pieces incorporate high-quality materials such as sparkling Swarovski crystals, Grade A freshwater pearls, supple leather and suede cord, and 14K gold-filled, rose gold, sterling silver and vermeil elements.
I am a perfectionist and am fastidious about the quality of my work, and the materials that go into it. I am inspired by the world around me, from the redwood forests of California to the magical turquoise-blue waters of the Caribbean, from architecture to the most minute details of everyday items, and by the intrinsic beauty and character of the gemstones and crystals themselves.
But my first fashion inspiration came from my mother, always well dressed and polished, with a keen sense of style, grace and elegance. My mother taught me about fashion and timeless style, and the value of fine materials, high-quality construction and attention to detail. These lessons remain with me today as I carefully hand-select materials for my jewelry and meticulously create each one of my designs. I am absolutely thrilled to spend every day following my passion to create beautiful jewelry for women who appreciate high-quality materials and expert craftsmanship, and who prefer to accent their wardrobe with handcrafted artisan jewelry that highlights their own sense of style, and expresses the many facets of their unique personality and lifestyle.
We live in a world today where so many things are "mass produced", that the specialness of "having the only one" and "knowing about the artisan or designer who made it" and "what inspired the design" is all but disappearing.
I value that specialness....especially in something as personal as jewelry, and I design for women who value that as well.
That is why I personally handcraft every single piece , why I include in the online description of each piece, what inspired the design--I want you to know the story behind it-- and why most every piece is a one-of-a-kind.
I want you to feel special when you wear Hi-Strung Designs Jewelry.
--Mary