One summer Saturday in 2005, after a brunch cocktail or two (don’t judge), I wandered into a Delancey Street storefront and ordered a personalized ring for $190. That seemed like a lot at the time, given that my Williamsburg rent was $800 a month (jealous?), but I reasoned it was an investment, and after all, 14k gold was involved. That “investment” rationale that’s so popular for the fashion-obsessed hasn’t always served me well, but here we are on December 16, 2015, and I’m sitting at my desk on 57th Street, wearing the thing. And gold prices keep going up, so I could probably sell it to one of those 1-800-GOT-GOLD type operations, but I would never. ANYWAY: These days, there’s no shortage of luxury jewelry designers who are down to make you exactly what you want, and for your holiday gifting purposes, a darling little necklace (preferably diamond-studded) is guaranteed to delight. So I checked in with Sydney Evan’s designer and founder Rosanne Karmes, who makes my favorite take on the medium (see how divine it looks on Kate Moss?), for the latest. And if you live in Cali, she’ll be on-hand at Neiman Marcus stores in Topanga and Beverly Hills tomorrow and Friday to create one-of-a-kind pieces for everyone on your list. Hopefully, that includes me. So Rosanne:
Everyone is loving our personalized pieces. There’s so much jewelry in the marketplace right now that people are really seeking out pieces that are unique or have special meaning. Our custom pave script necklace has been a huge hit since it was seen on the cover of British Vogue on Kate Moss. Our custom charm necklaces and beaded bracelets are also extremely popular right now. Our clients love building a charm necklace or bracelet that tells their own personal story.
Our evil eye jewelry! I’ve been expanding that collection to include eternity rings, bracelets and medallions—even evil eyes with eyelashes!Is the rose gold trend ever going away?
I hope not! I want everyone to wear the charms that make them happy, the pieces that make them feel great and that comes down to the metal, too. If they look great in rose gold, why take that away from someone?
What kinds of personalization are you offering these days?
We offer options across the board. We do custom charm events at our retail partners such as Bergdorf Goodman or Neiman Marcus and also offer the ability to create your own custom beaded bracelets and pave diamond custom script necklaces on our website.
Good to know. What are your holiday plans?
Each year, I travel with my family to Palm Springs for the winter holiday. It’s such a gorgeous place—the scenery is beautiful, the weather is perfect, and inspiration is everywhere. Palm Springs has incredible architecture and the best vintage shops.
And anything you’re looking forward to in 2016?
Next year marks the 15th anniversary of Sydney Evan, so we have quite a bit in store. We’ll be doing a special collection around the anniversary and some fun events around the country.
