Wrapping up 2008...

Goodness me! Its been over a month since my last post! Forgive me, it's only because there is so much going on here at Greenwich Jewelers. Our "facelift" is finally complete! If you haven't been to visit us lately you are in for a real treat. We are still the same store but with the help of visual merchandiser/interior designer extraordinaire, Cara Hatch, Greenwich Jewelers now has modern environment that reflects our personality and is the perfect backdrop for the jewelry collections. I've created a slideshow at right that shows photos of our transformation.

This year we tried to think outside of the box for holiday, as well. I don't know about you but my mailbox becomes so cluttered with catalogs and promotional mail around this time of year. Besides the obvious environmental impact junk mail has, I also find that I just don't have the time to sit and read so much extra mail. So, I started thinking about it and I thought, hmmm... How cool would it be to have an online catalog? Something where all the pictures were clickable through to the website so if someone wanted to buy something they could do it right there. No extra steps or time necessary. Well, turns out I wasnt the first peson with this idea, the platform to do this already exists and was just waiting for Greenwich Jewelers to use it.

I'm so proud of the Greenwich Jewelers Holiday 2008 e-catalog. Thanks to our fabulous graphic designer, Leah Bird it looks and works beautifully. It's so easy to use and really highlights the truly special pieces and collections we have this year. From a personal standpoint, I'm so happy to have learned that we can create gorgeous ways to communicate with our clients and still be mindful of not contributing to waste or the destruction of our natural resources. One step at a time, we are becoming more and more aware, responsible and creative as a family and a business. And that's what I am thankful for this year.

Sparklingly yours,

Jennifer

The Phenomenal Factor

It's easy to forget that gemstones are gifts, ordinary rocks that Mother Nature has chosen to exhibit a unique beauty. Some gems, classified as 'phenomenal', have extraordinary allure. These types of gems are among my personal favorites for thier natural, yet otherworldly effects.

My two best-loved are Labradorite and rainbow moonstone. Both are the common and abundant rock feldspar, but the type that has the phenomenal play of color as these two display is rare. Found in exotic locales including Brazil, India & Madagscar only adds to the captivating charm of these two incredible gems.

Thought to bring happiness and ease pressures, Labradorite is an unassuming gray stone. But in the hands of a talented cutter it reveals a blue/violet colored light called 'Labradorescence' that appears and disappears as the stone moves. So, when worn in jewelry Labradorite flashes its glamorous beauty, especially in earrings and pendants where it seems to glint on the skin. The combination of the neutral gray and bright blue/violet of Labradorite wears beautifully with chic, luxurious and tailored fashions.

Rainbow moonstone is the opposite in color, a milky, translucent white rock that emits rainbow iridescence. It appears to glow on the skin with a soft, dreamy quality. It is believed to ease sadness, increase intuition & add light to life. There is something fantastical and illusive about rainbow moonstone, as if the mere fact that you can see its beauty is a personal gift of Mother Nature. I love rings with this stone, so that I can gaze into the gem when I feel I need a pick me up! The ethereal quality of rainbow moonstone is the perfect compliment to feminine, bohemian and romantic styled clothing.

Want your own phenomenal talisman? Labradorite and rainbow moonstone can be found in the collections of Becky Kelso, Jamie Joseph and Melissa Joy Manning.

Sparklingly yours,

Jennifer

Win a pair of eco-FABULOUS earrings!

To coincide with the arrival of the Toby Pomeroy silver collection at Greenwich Jewelers, we are giving away a pair of classic TP Eclipse 32mm hoops. Made of 100% recycled silver in his Oregon studio, each piece of Toby Pomeroy jewelry is hand forged from a single piece of precious metal using a hammer, an anvil and an artist’s touch. The Eclipse hoop has a dual finish: a bright polish on one side and hammered on the other, giving you the versatility of two pairs in one. Enter now!

Race For The Cure NYC 2008

Unless you were out of town (or just plain out of it) you know that Mother Nature treated NYC to a brilliant day on Sunday, September 14th. Lucky for us The Greenwich Jewelers gals, along with some clients, friends and family members, were a part of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in beautiful Central Park. It was a great day; there were thousands of runners and walkers, many other teams, even kids & pets that had come together for one great cause.

The Greenwich Jewelers 'Make Life Sparkle!' Team (pictured here) raised $3500 in donations with the support of generous clients, friends and family members. See the hot pink papers we are wearing in the picture? These were placards that proclaimed "I walk in celebration of/in memory of" and allowed us to walk in honor of someone whose life had been touched by breast cancer. I think we all were humbled by the strength and commitment of the survivors and supporters who out in full force on Sunday. It was also exciting to see 'Sex and the City' star Cynthia Nixon & channel 2 news anchor Maurice DuBois who were on hand for the opening ceremonies.

We are eagerly looking forward to participating in the 2009 Race For The Cure and hope we can convince YOU to walk with us. Thanks again for all the support!

Sparklingly yours,
Jennifer

Guilt-Free Jewelry!

Each month Greenwich Jewelers does our part to "Make Life Sparkle" by offering you the chance to win a piece of jewelry from one of our supa cool designer collections. September's bauble is the 18K gold vermeil 'Frida' necklace by Arena CPH. It has just the right mix of sweet & chic to be your grab & go, wear with everything piece for fall. Here's a picture, I can just see you wearing it with everything from a fab floral dress to cozy cashmere cardigan in the months ahead. Enter here.

So, what is Arena CPH? The CPH stands for Copenhagen where the Danish design team hails from. The company has gathered some of Scandinavia's most talented jewelry designers and asked them to design a capsule collection that is meant to work as a complete collection when shown alongside their fellow designers' pieces. Inspiration comes from "minimalist Scandinavian design traditions and strong graphic expressions." Translated that means the collection is full of simple and stylish pieces that can be worn season after season. To view the entire Arena CPH collection at Greenwich Jewelers click here.

There's a fun (and a little abstract) video From Copenhagen Fashion Week '08 featuring Arena CPH design team member Katrine Kristensen and managing director Mads Rostbjerg. See it here

Well, good luck my fellow Sparkle-istas! I'll be back soon...

Sparklingly yours,

Jennifer

Greenwich Jewelers 2.0

It seems like everything is going "2.0" these days... So, I Googled "2.0" and got the usual terms, you know: web 2.0, tv 2.0, iPhone 2.0 but also some I hadn't even considered: lunch 2.0, school 2.0, women 2.0 and drama 2.0 (do we really need an evolution of drama?) And then I got to thinking, the term "2.0" has become synonymous with growth and change; the next step (or leap, if you will) for an industry, group, product, well, anything really...

2008 is the year of Greenwich Jewelers' 2.0 evolution; it started over a year ago with a new logo and developed into a project that would allow our family owned store to take the next step. Our goal? Modernize the business, both operationally and with fresh jewelry collections, establish a recognizable brand, create a store people will both feel comfortable in and inspired by, and spread the word about how jewelry can truly make life sparkle.

So, fast forward to today and here's the update: we are almost completed with our store renovation (touches of antique boutique and chic apartment); the website has been updated with touches designed to evoke the store experience. I'm blogging here in the 'Sparkle Lounge' and created a Greenwich Jewelers Facebook page (YouTube here we come...) and we're filling our cases with some of the brightest stars in American jewelry design. Last but certainly not least, our beloved shop is about to change hands, as my sister Christina and I get ready to take the helm Greenwich Jewelers and give our parents a well deserved break!

It seemed only fitting that for this first blog post, a product of web 2.0, we pay homage to the wonderful and wild ride we have been on for the past few years and that we'll continue to brave as we embody the next step in our history: Greenwich Jewelers 2.0. Hope you'll come along for the ride....


Sparklingly yours,
Jennifer Gandia