For Judith Bright, designing jewelry is the realization of a long-deferred dream. After 12 years spent manning Quincy Jones’ music publishing company in the Hollywood Hills -- a career she found tough to walk away from given her admiration for her legendary boss, who she still calls “one of the best people on earth” -- she decided to focus exclusively on family when her third child was born.
In her spare time, the Washington, D.C. native took jewelry-making classes at Barnsdall Art Center in Los Angeles. The enthusiastic response to her designs motivated her to form a home-based business. She began by creating custom jewelry out of silver and beading with semiprecious beads, selling these first pieces to friends and neighbors.
Her passion for jewelry goes back to her earliest childhood memories of playing for hours in her mother´s jewelry box: "I would pull out each piece and lay them out all over her bed. I´d try everything on and try different combinations. She was very patient with me." She adds, "I´ve always been fascinated by how people adorn themselves. Jewelry is the ultimate expression of individuality. It´s such a unique and expressive art form."
Judith realized that making jewelry was more than a part-time preoccupation when her children became school-age. She immersed herself in the creations of Italian jewelry designers and single-mindedly committed to studying under them. She and her family -- her sons plus husband Will -- moved to Florence, Italy, where they lived for one year while Judith worked privately with teachers from the prestigious Le Arti Orafe School of Jewelry. She learned silversmithing techniques as well as wax carving. She describes her time there as "one of the best periods in my life. I felt more comfortable in my own skin than ever before. It was like the glass slipper finally fit! I think it came with finally embracing a lifelong dream and being in the right place in my life to make it happen. Sometimes you have to wait quite a while, but in my case it was definitely worth it!"
After returning from Italy, she and her family relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, to be near family. Her youngest child is now in school full time. Says Judith, "I have thought a lot about what I´ve wanted to do in what I consider ´phase two´ of my life, and that time is now.
"Having an online store is a dream come true, and I am excited about reaching new customers. I am currently focusing on five lines. The first is THE TAGS, which is a line of custom names and sayings fashioned in silver. The second and third lines are SILVER+ROCKS and GOLD+ROCKS, which are fashioned from sterling silver and gold-filled chains and elements that link semiprecious stones in various combinations. I´ve also added a silver and gold only line called ROCKLESS featuring polished and hand-hammered pieces. The newest addition is my bridal line called I+DO featuring jewelry for the bride and her bridal party." |
