Some of our favorite Garnets in the Studio:
Our Spectrum Award winning “Taj” Enhancers that feature rare teal-to-purple Color Change Garnets, Our Mandarin Garnet and Yellow Sapphire “Ball Flower” Tops, and a selection of spectacular loose Mandarin and Tsavorite Garnets in our collection… waiting for some inspiration!

For more on Garnet, refer to Terra Garnet, a gorgeous reference and coffee table book written by our friend Vladyslav Yavorskyy.

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We love celebrating commemorating our favorite mothers on Valentine’s Day. One of our favorite details for sentimental gifts is engraving. In addition to intricate patterns and images, engraving names, dates, or messages on jewelry is a fun, beautiful way to make a gift more intimate. This is one of Deirdre’s Platinum and Diamond Bangles – it is engraved with both Wilson and Catherine’s names, and she wears it everyday. The engraving is not only stunning, but it makes the bracelet completely hers.

This ring celebrates a mother’s three children, with each child’s birthstone and all three of their names engraved on the interior.

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In the first century AD, Pliny the Naturalist stated, “Diamond is the most valuable, not only of precious stones, but of all things in the world.” As colored-gemstone addicts, we believe he had this half right.  Over the years, the diamond has been both culturally important and industrially significant.  For many centuries, the wearing of diamonds and valuable gemstones was restricted to royalty and unlawful for commoners.  The concept of the diamond as the engagement stone grew exponentially in popularity during the twentieth century as the result of a very strong marketing campaign by De Beers, a legacy that has allowed us to produce some killer engagement rings.  Here at Featherstone, we use diamonds both as the footlights to reflect light on our painstakingly selected colored gemstones and industrially: many of our drillbits are diamond-coated, which insures both accuracy and precision in our work.

Since diamonds and stunning gemstones are perceived as formal, they don’t get worn nearly as often as we wish! We like to enhance our everyday style with a little sparkle, and diamonds make every day more special. Denim makes room for diamonds in casual wear, while the jewelry lends jeans a little bit of sophistication.

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Look around the Featherstone studio on any given day and you’ll see at least a few – the signature “To thine own self be true” bangles. Beyond being a beautiful, strong piece of jewelry, the bangles are a constant reminder for us to follow our own paths. One of the things we love about our collection is that it lets us do just that – recreate our look to reflect the most current iterations of ourselves. We haven’t grown tired of these bangles yet – though maybe that’s because they have gone through so many iterations themselves!

It means a lot to us that the Featherstone line helps our clients feel unique and beautiful in a way that reflects their true selves. This bangle is a shout-out to all of you, an appreciation of the one-of-a-kind people we get to build for. Your individuality is what inspires us! To thine own cool, special, spirited selves – stay true!

Our To Thine Own Self Be True Bangles. Available in 18K Yellow & Rose Gold, Platinum and Sterling Silver.

An example of a hand engraved 18 Karat Gold Bangle.

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Featherstone was lucky enough to host the final lecture and workshop in the much-anticipated NJI @ Parsons series – a weeklong luxury jewelry and timepiece intensive, taught through morning lectures and afternoon excursions. Kevin Reilly from Platinum Guild International started the afternoon with a lecture on the history of platinum before Deirdre took the floor to discuss the Featherstone Fine Jewelry line. Following the presentation, the students came down to the benches to watch a platinum welding workshop – Deirdre and our two bench jewelers, Pavel and Sergey, demonstrated how we would build a pair of platinum bellies for our collection. Finally, the students had an experience to examine our collection firsthand. It was so great to have such a great group of jewelry enthusiasts so excited about our collection. We hope to have you all back in the studio again soon – and we’ll have our new platinum bellies to show you when you come!.

Pavel gives a demonstration on his bench.

Deirdre and Kevin Reilly, Vice President of Platinum Guild International giving a presentation on our favorite metal, platinum.

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30 ROCK- AN ANNIVERSARY STORY

This summer, we had a HUGE project. This year, two of our clients celebrated their thirtieth anniversary. Joanna and Brian asked us to create a ring to honor their marriage.

Joanna had a vision – a diamond that would float on her finger. We worked with her and Brian to come up with the perfect design. Using the treasure trove of Art Deco architecture in Manhattan as inspiration, Deirdre imagined a ring that would reflect the Chrysler Building’s lines, the proscenium at Radio City and the important vernacular of Rockefeller Center.

30 Rock – as the ring came to be called (we love the double meaning!) – was built at the Studio by our master bench jeweler, Pavel Parshin, and came out absolutely perfect. Brian came to the studio to preview the ring before “The Reveal.” He “proposed” to Joanna on one knee using the new ring – a formality that was thirty years in the making! Joanna was stunned when Brian traditionally proposed to her. He could barely get the question out before she was yelling her answer…

SHE SAID YES!!!

Joanna and Brian have been part of the Featherstone Design family for years, and we were honored to take part in such an important evening between the two of them. Here’s to wishing you two another crazy, fun, and exciting thirty years together!

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THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN OPAL TOUR

October’s Birthstone and our favorite stone here at Featherstone..The Opal, which has us reminiscing about last year’s Great Australian Opal Tour.

In the fall of 2014, we had the opportunity to travel Down Under for ten days for a tour of Australia’s incredible opal regions. Organized by the Opal Miners Association of Australia, the opal crazed touring party was a mixed international group of gem-obsessed Geologists, Jewelers and Gem Dealers. What an amazing experience it was! One of our first stops was Lightning Ridge in the state of New South Wales, famed for it’s magnificent Black Opal.

Deirdre bravely descending into an opal mine for the first time at a stone-rich area called Sheepyard.

The Gang with our lovely and knowledgeable guides Maxine O’Brien (center, in red) and Tony Smallwood, opal lecturer at the Gemological Association of Australia. (second standing from left).

Hand sifting for Black Opal at a stone tumbler with Lightning Ridge local and miner, Fred.

Deep within a mine Deirdre works the machinery. Who said this industry was glamorous?!

A huge band of magnificent solid opal in claystone. A rare find that was discovered only a few weeks before our arrival by miner Tony.

Another rare occurrence. Lightning at Lightning Ridge! Here is Wilson from Featherstone who is known in the studio as “The Weather Man”.

Buckets of rough opal waiting to be cut.

This method is used in order to separate the opal from sandstone. Rough sandstone dug out from a mine is run on conveyor belts in darkened sheds with UV lighting. When opal material is present the material glows!

Taking a break from opal sorting in Coober Pedy. Deirdre & Shel and our friends Shreyes & Erica.

A mine of epic proportions in Coober Pedy, South Australia.

Sunset on our last day at the beautiful Breakaways Conservation Park, South Australia. What an adventure! Now time to create something beautiful with the treasures we picked up. Straight from the source to New York City.

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TUCSON GEM SHOW & SPECTRUM AWARDS CEREMONY 2015

This past February, Featherstone escaped from the NYC Winter’s clutches for another beautiful Tuscon Gem Show.  This year, Deirdre brought home not one (motorcycle)… not two (puppies)… not three (pairs of boots)… but FOUR awards from the AGTA for her bright designs in platinum, including two First Places.

We also brought home SO MUCH beautiful material!  Some of our favorites this year were the Pearls and the Rough Emerald – we couldn’t wait to use them!

Extraordinary pearls in so many colors! Deirdre selecting the perfect pearls for the collection.

Stunning skies in Tucson.

One of our biggest highlights this year though was a reunion of the Australian Opal Tour – it was the first time since the trip that many of us got to see each other.  We love the opportunity to connect with our industry friends!

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HONG KONG  INTERNATIONAL GEM & JEWELRY SHOW

Last September, we decided to go global with our jewelry!  We took off to show our jewels at the 2014 Hong Kong Jewelry & Gem Fair. It was our first foray into the Asian Market, and we had such a blast.  Going to “The World’s Number One Fine Jewelry Event” was just as exciting as it sounds.

Featherstone was more than a hit.  Deirdre was invited to speak on Chinese television about her designs and even had to say a sentence in Chinese – such an honor!  With nearly 4,000 Jewelry Designers and Gem Traders present, Deirdre was one of a select few chosen to participate.

We also loved the opportunity to explore a little bit of Hong Kong – the bright colors and shapes around the city were such an inspiration.  Next stop – Australia, for a tour of the opal fields!

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TUCSON GEM SHOW 2014

In our opinion February is the hardest month to be in New York.  So every year, rather than freeze, Featherstone takes a trip out to the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show.  This is one of the main places we acquire new stones, and it one of Deirdre’s favorite opportunities to shine.  Since Deirdre has been attending the show for years, she knows which Gem Traders to look for, and is a pro at spotting the true diamonds in the rough – even if the rough happens to be stunning itself!  Many of our award-winning, color-forward designs owe their brightness to Deirdre’s keen eyes at Tucson!

In the true Featherstone fashion, however, we never forget to enjoy ourselves.  After this trip, more than gems accompanied Deirdre home…!

Welcome to the Featherstone family, Min!

Celebrating with our fellow industry friends at the American Gem Trade Association’s Spectrum Awards party.

Took a break from stone sourcing to pick up another gem, Deirdre’s new Australian Shepherd puppy.

Beautiful Australian Boulder Opal.

Shel with Featherstone Taj Earrings on the cover of industry magazine, MJSA Journal.

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