Ari K.: Notes from the Production Desk...

Sonja, our repairs specialist, walks past our metalsmiths on a busy day.

As the manager of production, it is my job to accommodate orders with extreme sensitivity to our customer’s deadlines. Since we make every piece to order it gets a little tricky during our busy holiday seasons. Our metalsmiths: Izeta, Joel, Elvedina, Dervisa, and Chie never fail to impress us with their speed, focus, attention to detail and general hilariousness. This Valentine’s Day most certainly took the cake. We had initially planned to make just under 300 pieces, during our week long production cycle, but after last minute requests (I mean, really? Who am I turn away somebody in need of the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for their sweetheart) we were able to accommodate 51 additional pieces! That is more than 10 extra pieces per metal smith, most definitely a Jeanine Payer record! I couldn’t even believe my eyes when I saw what they had accomplished. Way to go Team! I hope everybody can appreciate the hard work that goes into every Jeanine Payer piece. ~Ari K.

We Have a New Policy

Former Senator and NBA Hall of Famer, Bill Bradley with our own Melissa Lim

You are no longer safe in our store if you are a former senator or a celebrity. From here on out expect to be asked, Debra Winger, for a photo-op and to be featured in the blog. Ok, Francis McDormand, you got off easy.

Former Senator and NBA Hall of Famer, Bill Bradley came in yesterday to to pick up his custom order. We are all so happy to have such an all around great guy as a customer. But this is one of those moments when I wish I had put the jewelry cases a tad higher...

5 not so random things we love about Bill:

He is an Eagle Scout

He was a 2000 Democratic Presidential hopeful

He is in the NBA Hall of Fame

He looks great in camel and is ready for a photo shoot in a pinch

He is known for his impeccable taste in jewelry

Facebook

We have a Facebook Fan Page now under 'Jeanine Payer Jewelry' for those of you who, like me, have been bitten by the bug...

THINK PINK.... if you want that quelque chose

Hot off the press: 14k and silver Juanita, Miller, Capri and Viola with pink tourmaline.

To get in the mood for Spring I insisted that Jeff and I watch Funny Face. I hadn't seen the film in ages and I had forgotten how over-the-top silly it was. I laughed through the whole thing. Meryl Streep's entrance in the beginning of The Devil Wears Prada is an homage to Kay Thompson's opening number: THINK PINK--which itself is an homage to Diana Vreeland. I am a big fan of Kay Thompson because she also wrote the Eloise children books. I read them all until the bindings fell off.

As I was watching the movie I realized her interjection to 'Think Pink!' is exactly what we all need right now. I was stunned to find out NONE of my staff had ever seen Funny Face which meant they had to sit through my overview, insights and references to it in popular culture. For example, Audrey doing her 'bohemian sexy dance' for a Gap ad from '06 to promote their skinny jean. None of them had ever been told to Think PINK in their entire lives. In my house we always worked it in wherever we could, if there was an awkard silence, or when things grew dull.

So if you need to get a smile on your face and some direction today, here it is: THINK PINK!

Send In The Hearts... don't bother they're here!

Not that everyone interprets Valentine's Day with heart shaped jewels, but it is the one time when caution can be thrown to the wind and we can all admit that we sort of like 'em. My mom's nickname was 'The Queen of Hearts' when I was a kid and her friends, mostly artists in the theatre, gave her unusual boxes and pictures with heart motifs that were peppered through our house. Since I was in charge of dusting I developed a fond closeness with each heart shaped dust catching object. One Valentines morning my mother was surprised to find our front yard filled with pink paper hearts hanging from our olive tree and I will never forget the look on her face as she walked out in her robe looking up in astonishment...hearts can be kind of wonderful.



I made this special silver and gold heart from two pieces of wax and then carved the Japanese inspired dragon fly and leaves. When it comes to hearts I like the ones that have the effect of the Tin Man's heart--completely tactile, magical and something you want to touch. With this piece I wanted to make something that looked dense but could hang from a thin chain and that is why I made it hollow. I have a French reliquary that I got in the Clignancourt flea market in Paris that I sometimes wear from a long thin chain and it has the same effect.