METALMARK BLOG

Hi! I’m Abby and I’m the manager of our LoHi store in Denver. I’ve been obsessed with jewelry for as long as I can remember. I love seeing unexpected materials come together to create something unique and inspired. Jewelry to me is the perfect combination of design, art, and fashion (all things I love) so to be able to help individuals find &/or create their perfect piece is so incredibly cool for me.

Below are my gift-guide picks for this season!

Mizuki - 14k Yellow Gold Graduating Fresh Water Pearl Ear Cuff $625

I love the juxtaposition of this piece by Mizuki. Ear cuffs add an edge to your look but the pearls bring in a softer, more sweet feel.

ILA Collection - Turquoise & Diamond Locket in 14k Recycled Yellow Gold with .04ct Diamonds, $785

I will take turquoise any day. This delicate locket is such a great gift. Perfect for layering and you can even sneak a small note inside!

Samantha Louise Jewelry - Rhodochrosite Drop Jackets, $900

I absolutely adore these new rhodochrosite drop jackets by Samantha Louise. They are the perfect gift because they are versatile and can be paired with any stud.

Metalmark House Collection - 18K Rose Gold Ruby Eternity Band, $1940

I love the combination of rubies and rose gold here. It’s such a unique band that can be incorporated into any cool girl stack.

Sarah Hendler 18K Yellow Gold Signature Half Hoops, $2626

These earrings are always my go-to in the shop. The half-hoop is such a unique twist on the hoop earring and I love the dagger accent at the bottom.

I hope you like all my holiday picks! Please be sure to visit us at our Carmel and Denver locations to get your holiday wish list updated & check out these amazing pieces in person.

Xo, Abby
@abby_metalmarkfinejewelry

Here at Metalmark Fine Jewelry, one of our favorite things is when people come in with an idea for a custom order that is unique and personalized.

Recently, Abby, our store manager in Lohi, had a request for a custom necklace from the lovely Ariana Chernin that we loved so much, we wanted to share with our readers!

One of our talented custom design specialists will sit down with you and help come up with a plan of action for your perfect piece, as shown in this sketch below. This customer wanted a personalized nameplate of her daughter’s name, Ives Ever.

Next, shown below, our customization specialist will work with you to choose things like font, shape, gems, etc. The possibilities are endless! In this design, we started with 10 different fonts and narrowed them down to the customer’s favorite two below.

Below is the final CAD rendering of the design before it was put into production! We will also show you the wax mold at this stage before it’s cast, so you can make sure you like the size, scale etc.

The last and most exciting step of the process is seeing your idea come to life! We love how this piece turned out & would love to create something just as special for you to signify someone special in your life.

Whether it was a bad gift, inherited jewelry, or something you bought for yourself ten years ago that makes you wonder what the 2008 you were thinking, we feel you. That doesn’t mean your jewelry needs to go to waste! It is possible to redesign jewelry into something that you feel great flaunting, and not shamefully hide away in your jewelry box.

One of the best options for giving jewelry new life is to have a custom piece of jewelry created especially for you.

That long strand of pearls you inherited can be converted into multiple bracelets, a layered choker or even an entire suite of earrings, ring, pendant and bracelet. We all have some pieces that we just no longer want but that doesn’t mean you can’t have the diamonds and gemstones reset into individual pieces that you can give to your children or grandchildren as a gift that they will cherish for years.

Here at Metalmark Fine Jewelry, we love working with you to bring new life to an old favorite. The process is easy, and so fun!

Bring in what you have! That necklace you no longer wear? Your grandma’s old ring that’s just not your style? Bring it all in. One of our talented custom specialists will go through everything with you and talk about your options.

This photo below shows the mountings from a recent “before” that one of our custom specialists worked with.

Walk around the shop & see what you’re drawn to in our cases. Show us your Pinterest board or Instagram photos you’ve saved. We’d love to help you determine what the best options are for your new piece.

We will work with you on concept and style and sketch out a design that you love. Next, that design will be drawn up in our CAD program where it will really come to life. We will work through this process until we settle on an amazing piece you’ll love to wear! Next, the piece will be created in our Lohi studio.

Shown below is a series of CAD renderings drawn up to make sure that you love everything about your piece before it is produced.

Shown below is the final product. Every diamond in this stack was taken from another piece of inherited jewelry and brought to life in a beautifully modern way.

Our last day to guarantee Christmas pick up for custom orders is November 24, 2018. Be sure to mention this blog post for a special 20% off discount on any custom order now through Christmas. 

Mary and Sam reflect as another milestone approaches this weekend!

WHAT DOES JEWELRY MEAN TO YOU? 

Mary: Jewelry is an expression of self. And, a timeless piece that can tell a story or hold a memory.

Sam: Whether it's your wedding band, a strand of pearls passed down from a grandmother, or the piece you bought for yourself with that first bonus check at work—Jewelry can help define who you are, where you came from, and where you are going. It is a symbol of your memories and identity. Each day when you select a piece to wear, you carry that memory with you and in turn reveal your identity to the world.

WHAT MADE YOU GO INTO THIS FIELD?
 
Mary: One of my brother's friends went to the GIA (Gemological Institute of America). I thought jewelry was just something that I loved. I didn't think it could be something that would be an integral part of my life.

Sam: For me, it was always about the creative process. Designing and creating is definitely my first love.
 
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB AT METALMARK?
 
Mary: I absolutely love developing client friendships. As a jeweler, you essentially walk through life with people.

Sam: For me, it’s creating something from nothing, and all the elements that go into it — whether it's custom designing a piece with a client or building our brand and business. I love seeing the end result and knowing how each aspect came together to make it happen ... that’s pretty special.
 
HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO START METALMARK?

Mary: Sam conned me into it, but it only took me a minute or a day to say yes. She's doesn't think she's good at sales, but she is. ;)

Sam: I had the idea for a store that wasn’t stuffy. I wanted to create a place that was magical, approachable and rooted in client happiness ... but I really couldn’t have done it without Mary. She’s literally good at all the things I’m terrible at. Our partnership is what makes our business successful.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS? 
 
Mary: Working with and growing alongside Sam and the ladies that work with us are my favorite parts of owning my own business.

Sam: Our team for sure. Our designer partners and staff are rock stars.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT OPENING A CARMEL, IN LOCATION?

Mary: I’m so excited to bring a fresh new vibe of jewelry and a beautiful space to Carmel and Indianapolis.

Sam: More trips home! I love living in Denver, but opening the store in Carmel is an amazing opportunity to connect to my hometown and be with family more regularly.
 
WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE THE TWO LOCATIONS OF CARMEL AND DENVER?

Mary: I think we opened Denver because we wanted to see if we could do it. Sure, I wanted to live in Colorado and Sam already lived there. But when I look back, I wanted to see if I could succeed outside of the city that supported me for so long. I guess I wanted to know if I was actually good at what I did.

Sam: We opened Metalmark in an up-and-coming neighborhood In Denver and really built a client base from nothing. Indiana made sense as the next step because we both have strong roots and an existing base there. Carmel was honestly the best/biggest surprise for me. Mary and I had been looking for spaces for some time in Indianapolis when our broker recommended we take a look at the building on Monon & Main Street. I haven’t lived in Indy in more than 10 years and I was mind blown by the growth in Carmel. It is an amazing, vibrant community and I feel so blessed to have landed there.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT FAVORITE PIECE AT THE STORE?

Mary: There is a beautiful diamond estate ring at the store that I covet. I think it has an exquisite layout of marquise and baguette cut diamonds in the most fluid pattern that goes all the way around the finger.

Sam: I have a brand new bracelet in my Samantha Louise Jewelry collection that is 18K yellow gold and has tiny symbols all the way around. I call it my elements bracelet and I customize for clients with their own stones. The piece has some serious weight and feels very amazing to wear.

WHAT/WHO INSPIRES YOU?

Mary: The female jewelry designers of today and jewelry from the past inspire me the most.

Sam: Designers who really own their design identity. There is a lot out there and honestly most things have been done before. What’s inspiring to me is when a designer creates a look, stands by that look but then pushes the boundaries of where the brand can go.

FOLLOW MARY ON INSTAGRAM
@mary_metalmarkfinejewelry

FOLLOW SAM ON INSTAGRAM
@sam_metalmarkfinejewelry

Hi! I’m Whitney and I’m BEYOND excited to join the Metalmark Fine Jewelry team in Carmel, IN. Mary and Samantha are doing so many great things and I’m really excited to get involved. Indianapolis really doesn’t have a store like this and I think there’s a huge opportunity here. We want to make jewelry shopping a whole new experience. We want it to be laid back and inviting, but most importantly, help you find really beautiful unique pieces.

Q&A WITH WHITNEY WILLHITE 

WHAT DOES JEWELRY MEAN TO YOU? 
I think jewelry is the best expression of art. It’s something that can truly be passed from generation to generation, with great meaning. With each piece of jewelry comes a great story. Finding cool vintage pieces is kind of like finding treasure. It's the same feeling when you find that unique piece that really speaks to you.
 
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS FIELD?
 I started as an intern at G. Thrapp Jewelers during my undergraduate years at Butler University. That's where I crossed paths with Mary and Samantha. I fell in love with the business. I’ve been lucky enough to learn from some of the most knowledgeable people in the industry and their passion has definitely worn off on me.
 
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB?
I love custom designing a piece for a client and seeing how excited they are when it’s completed. Jewelry is very personal, and it’s really awesome to be apart of the process to help people create something they love — especially when they’re not really sure what they’re after at first.
 
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT OPENING A NEW CARMEL LOCATION?
Indianapolis doesn’t have a store like this. It’s a totally new retail experience. We want you to feel like you can come in and hang out with us on your way to get ice cream across the street. Our owners are passionate about bringing in up-and-coming designers with really unique designs.
 
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT FAVORITE PIECE AT THE STORE? 
I really love all of our pieces by Todd Pownell. I love the inverted diamonds and fancy shapes; they take a simple concept and making it totally unique and wearable. I also love all of the stacking rings by Metalmark Fine Jewelry owner, Samantha Louise. It’s really fun to mix different rings to create different looks.
 
WHO/WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
My family has been a great inspiration in my career. My mom has a way of making me look at things with a different perspective and always keeps me positive and optimistic. My dad is the guy that pushes me outside of my comfort zone. My grandma has always taught me to be comfortable in my own style. If you want to wear 15 pieces of jewelry at a time, then wear it because it makes you feel confident and happy.

I’m also really passionate about fashion. Accessorizing makes an outfit your own. Jewelry really does give you a unique opportunity of self-expression. 

EMAIL WHITNEY
whitney@themetalmarkhouse.com

FOLLOW WHITNEY ON INSTAGRAM
@whitney_metalmarkfinejewelry

TIE ONE ON
Ray Griffiths 18-karat yellow gold Crownwork earrings // $3,645

SWEATER WEATHER
Metalmark Fine Jewelry House Collection 14-karat yellow gold threader earrings ($720)