Meticulous Mother-of-Pearl

I wanted to share the technique that GeoArt By Cynthia Gale uses to create our mother-of-pearl designs with everyone! Attached are a series of photos which illustrate how the designs for the Forget-Me-Knot and Love Letters Collections were made. The rough shell is first scraped to reveal irridescent mother-of-pearl on both sides. Stencils of the outer shapes of the GeoArt design silhouettes are then roughly cut from the shell and shaved to a thin, even thickness. The design is cut out of paper and lain on the pearl. A tiny saw is then used to cut the intricate openwork by hand... one-by-one... simply amazing. The shell is then polished to a high sheen, the silverwork soldered and attached, and viola- you are one of a kind!

Intern Insider: The NY Gift Show

First the Accesorie Circuit and now the NY Gift Show- not a bad start for my first time interning with GeoArt by Cynthia Gale! I left my house in my new dress nervously awaiting the day's task. Once I got into New York, I started my walk towards the Javits Center. Once inside I met with my supervisor, Olga. We walked passed the booths to GeoArt where we met with Cynthia. We were able to chat about the day's events and orders. They wanted me to learn how to write orders, but I was scared and nervous about making mistakes. Luckily, I only wrote up one sale and it was for samples- Phew!

Cynthia encouraged me to walk around the show and observe other companies' set-ups and designs. For someone who truly loves accessories, I enjoyed that walk and marveled at the creativity. The booths were gorgeous and filled with some of the most unique jewelry I've ever seen. The designers that showcased their work were humble and easy to talk to. The day ended with several orders and making sure all the jewelry was zip-locked away and displays were carefully taken down. I learned valuable information that day, not just about the lines and different collections. Cynthia and Olga explained the importance of talking to customers and creating a dialogue to better understand what the buyer is interested in for their customer. Also, listening to Cynthia and Olga talk to buyers helped me when it was my turn. All in all, it was a successful day with knowledgable and valuable lessons learned.

Komodo Dragons Anyone?

Let's stray away from jewelry for a moment and visit Rinca, a small island in the midst of the Komodo Islands where my family and I recently made a side trip to explore the wildlife during our annual Indonesian Production trip. These babies can sprint up to 30 MPH and carry a venom which can kill you. We strolled out into the forest led by a 90 pound guide carrying a forked stick-not very reassuring! Meeting a lizard the size of a refridgerador in a field somewhere in the middle of a remote Indonesian island will not be noted on my list of favorite tourist activities!

A Sterling Day at Koi Boutique

We love our retail customers! On Monday, I caught the New Jersey Coast Line to Spring Lake where Olga and I set up a GeoArt By Cynthia Gale trunk show for a drop dead beautiful boutique called Koi. The owner, Rich Yanni, treated us to a delicious lunch at the Black Swan(*note- the crabcakes feature crabmeat from Maryland but ARE NOT Maryland crabcakes- sorry to be so difficult, Rich!) and we spent a lovely afternoon meeting Koi customers and selling our wares.

Teaching NYC Students to Grow in More Ways Than One!

On Thursday, August 5th, I was invited by David Saphire, the dedicated Director of the Learn It, Grow It, Eat It Program (www.grownyc.org) in the South Bronx to speak with his students about Career Planning. GeoArt By Cynthia Gale donates to this program via our Go Green jewelry collections and I love to spend time with the kids at their Youth Market where they sell veggies which they grow in their local community gardens. Having learned that I taught Career Planning at the Fashion Institute of Technology, David asked if I would be willing to speak with his group. The kids were amazing and I learned all about how they grow their crops, are taught to prepare tasty veggie dishes, as well as how to correctly read and understand food labels. It's always like that- when you give something, you get something back... what a great afternoon!

A Walk on the Wynn's Wildside

Olga and I love older men! Here we are pictured with Michael Barlerin in June at the Savor Silver Cocktail Reception at the Wynn Las Vegas which was held during the JCK Show. Check out http://www.savorsilver/ to learn more about this cool organization which Michael is in charge of- I am honored to be featured as one of Savor Silver's Designers of Distinction.