December 2008

Deriving inspiration from the past, be it art, architecture, history or fashion itself, Courtney’s fine jewelry creations are gaining industry recognition for their style, quality and fine artisan details.

Signature statement pieces in rich, bold color combinations are favored by contemporary women with an eye for quality, while her Modern Heirlooms Collection, combining fine antique lockets and findings with precious gemstones, are treasured by those with an affinity for the past.

Shop for her beautiful jewelery online at Passementerie. My other little tip, join Courtney’s conversation on twitter. I am sure she would love to tweet you.
Darlings: How did you get into jewelry design?
Courtney: I began designing jewelry in 1998, when I was still in high school. I was interested in a creative career, and I had always had an intense love of fashion, so my plans at that time were to study fashion design, and jewelry was just a hobby until I was ready for design school.

Darlings: When did you start your own line of jewelry?
Courtney: Very quickly I began to fall in love with the process of designing jewelry…planning, sketching, gem selection, creating the final design…I just couldn’t stop creating. I started selling my work to get an idea of the business side of the industry, and as soon as I sold my first piece I was hooked on the idea of turning a hobby I truly loved into a business. One year off between high school and design school became two years, then three…and now I have made jewelry, rather than fashion design, my career (and I’m still loving every minute of it!).

Darlings: How did you learn your craft?
Courtney: When I started my business I was literally just out of high school, that was my “starving artist” phase. I was on my own and working a bunch of odd jobs to try and support my fledgling business. I was putting every extra cent I had into my business so I didn’t have extra money for classes. I taught myself how to make jewelry by studying books, magazines, online tutorials, really anything I could get my hands on, and by looking closely at the construction of the antique jewelry I had collected over the years. This self-taught, trial & error approach has given me the freedom to explore alternate techniques of working with metal & precious gemstone beads, which lead to the development of some of my most treasured signature designs. I have always been fascinated by gemstones, both their physical properties and lore/history behind them, but recently I have begun a more serious study into the materials I work with…which has lead me to the Gemological Institute of America, where I am currently studying to become a Graduate Gemologist.

Darlings: Where do you turn for inspiration for your designs?
Courtney: I derive quite a bit of inspiration for my designs from the past, be it art, architecture, history, fashion or antique & ancient jewelry itself; however from the very beginning of my career the biggest source of inspiration for my designs has come from the gemstones themselves. The incredible array of shapes & colors provide an endless artistic palate for my jewelry designs. When new gemstone shipments arrive I immediately lay all of the gemstones out across my jewelry bench and just let the rainbow of colors inspire me!

Darlings: What fashion trends, if any, are influencing your jewelry?
Courtney: I’m not influenced by fashion trends per se, but fashion has always been a very important part of my design process. When it comes to fashion I have always been drawn towards more classic “statement pieces,” the type of clothing & accessories I can wear for years and accent with pieces from the current season. Because of this I have always envisioned my jewelry as statement pieces…not just accessories, but
the type of jewelry that can stand on its own and stand the test of time, something outfits can be built around for seasons to come.

Darlings: What do you think is the biggest obstacle for the kind of bead work that you do?
Courtney: The biggest obstacle for me has always been educating my customers about quality. My work is not “traditional” fine jewelry, I use solid sterling silver, high-karat gold and platinum and the finest gems I can get my hands on (often I have gemstones custom cut for my designs, because it can be very difficult to find beads of a high-enough quality) however, because my gemstones are cut into beads people often assume my work isn’t up to the quality standards of something like a traditional fabricated ring with a bezel set stone…but that couldn’t be further from the truth.  The issue of educating my customers about the quality of my work has always been very important to me, which is why I have made it one of my career goals to try and help change the perception of beadwork from “fashion” or “costume” jewelry.

Darlings: What does your average day entail?
Courtney: At this point in my career Passementerie has become a more than full time job, sometimes it seems as though I live & breathe jewelry! My day often begins with the usual business tasks; sending & answering emails, printing packing slips & invoices, packing & shipping jewelry, tracking shipments and pricing new pieces.  I am fortunate to live in historic Charleston, South Carolina, so even in the winter the afternoons are often mild enough that I can go out on my terrace and relax, I usually spend this time sketching new pieces and planning new collections. Often I will go for a walk, through my historic neighborhood, down to the water or to the local farmer’s market. The homes & buildings of Charleston are gorgeous, and on my walks I often find myself taking photographs for inspiration; a decorative architectural element could be the silhouette of a new earring, the colors of flowers in a garden inspire a new combination of gemstones.  I do my best design work late in the day & at night, so I generally start laying out gemstones just as the sun is setting behind my studio. Most of my fabricating & creating is done late at night, often I will find myself so engrossed in a design that it becomes 3 or 4am and I don’t even realize how late it is until I happen to glance at the studio clock!

Darlings: How would you describe your personal style? And who or what influences that style?
Courtney: My personal style has always been very much influenced by the past. I have a very large collection of vintage clothing & accessories and I love layering very classic pieces with colorful & unexpected accessories, my personal style has often been described as “bohemian: or “eclectic”. Some of my personal style icons are Kate Moss, Betty Catroux, Loulou de la Falaise and Talitha Getty.

Darlings: What is your fashion obsession of the moment?
Courtney: I am in love with the recent focus on statement accessories. I have always collected large cocktail rings and large “bib” style necklaces, and I am so glad to see so many designers focusing on those pieces in recent seasons…there are so many styles now for me to lust over, my wish list just goes on & on.

Darlings: If there was one designer on Smashing Darling that you could ask a question to who would it be and what would you ask them?
Courtney: One of my most prized possessions is my grandmother’s hat collection, which is displayed throughout my house in place of more “traditional” art. I have always been fascinated by millinery, and I would love to learn more about the design process of one of smashing darling’s incredibly talented milliners, such as Anne de Pasquale or Katie Burley.

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