Happy Rocks: Pamela Froman quoted in Rapaport Magazine

Pamela was recently interviewed about her use of colored gemstones by Editor-in-Chief Amber Michelle, for Rapaport magazine's August issue, and we just got our copy today! I've transcribed some of the fabulous article for you below:





Happy Rocks

One thing all designers agree on: Colored gemstones make people feel good

By Amber Michelle

(partial transcription follows)

Color has a huge impact on all of our lives. Color psychology finds that personality traits are revealed through color preferences, the color of packaging impacts purchase choices and various colors are said to shift one's mood. Colored gemstones hold appeal for consumers for a range of reasons -- they represent personal expression, they have fascinating legend, lore and metaphysical characteristics associated with them and colored gemstones are the perfect way to complement an outfit. But the main reason people choose a color is because it makes them feel good.



Personality

"Each stone has its own personality," says designer Pamela Froman of the eponymous Los Angeles-based company, who finds that the blend of stones and metals can completely change the look of a piece. "Colored gemstones add another dimension of color to a piece that can't be achieved with gold alone. I've developed my own 18-karat alloys so I have multiple colors of gold to work with and colored gemstones expand my palette. I love to take a unique gemstone, like black rutilated quartz, and pair it with a color metal that is not typical, like 18-karat pink gold."

Runway

Despite the focus on color connected with runway fashion each season, the shows have surprisingly little impact on designers. ... Both Froman and Showers admit to paying no attention at all to the runway shows, choosing instead to design with the colors that they are drawn to at any given time.

Mix & Match

While colored gemstone jewelry often has one luscious center stone that is the highlight of the piece, sometime designers will choose to mix their own colors. All designers mix their gems in a way that expresses their own aesthetic and creativity. "For me, it usually begins with the color of the gemstone," says Froman. "Depending on which shade of gold I choose to use, I can achieve bold contrasts, such as 18k-karat yellow gold with tanzanite or rubellite. Other times, I prefer a more subtle, tonal approach, with combinations like 18-karat pink and yellow gold with a peach moonstone. Each combination evokes a different mood."

Diamonds

Colored gemstones have a beauty all their own, but their beauty is still enhanced by diamonds. Using diamonds in a design allows it to go from day to night with ease, notes Froman, who concludes that "diamonds add sparkle and an element of glamour to my colored gemstone designs. By setting the diamonds next to a stone, it pops the natural color of the gem and brings the piece to the next level."

Summer Press Clippings

Hello, Jewelry Lovers!
I realize I've gotten a little behind in my blogging, but it's not for lack of material to blog about, it's just been a really busy Summer so far...
So, in an effort to catch up, I thought I'd share a sampling of the editorial coverage Pamela Froman Fine Jewelry has received this Summer. Enjoy!

Inside Weddings Magazine, Summer 2011

Inside Weddings selected our "Majestic Crush" earrings in 18k Pink & Yellow "Crushed" Gold, featuring gorgeous Malaia Zircon center stones with Malaia Sapphire & Diamond accents and Peach Moonstone drops, to illustrate the "Light & Airy" theme of their Jewelry Box section: "Delicate jewelry designs with weightless appeal, perfect for summery bridal ensembles."

Rapaport, May 2011

"Each year, designers create trendsetting new confections to debut at the Las Vegas jewelry shows." Amber Michelle, Editor-in Chief of Rapaport, identified Pamela Froman's "Crushed Solitatire" Rings with natural color diamonds as one of the "Desert Treasures" to be found at the Couture Show in Las Vegas this year.

Couture International Jewellery (CIJ), Summer 2011

CIJ Trends & Colours, "the Jewellery Industry's only comprehensive guide to the hottest trends and colours for 2011," selected Pamela Froman's "Royal Cap" Earrings in 18k Yellow Gold with smooth Carnelian drops to illustrate the popularity of the color Orange this year: "A power colour, orange commands attention. Evocative of the changing seasons, it is between the heat of summer and the cool of winter, but is definitely a hot colour for 2011."

InDesign Customer Type: COUTURE COLLECTOR

Inside InDesign Magazine, you'll find a great feature from Cindy Edelstein of the Jeweler's Resource Bureau: Customer Types. May 2011 is the Special Couture Issue, so it's only appropriate that this month's Customer Type is the "Couture Collector"!

To quote from the article, "The Couture Collector is a real jewelry lover. She is so up on the latest news and trends that she has the inside track from the cutting edge almost as soon as the store owner sees it herself. You'd better learn how to tweet photos from your phone for this customer type!"

The earrings Cindy selected for her Couture Collector are Pamela Froman's new "Majestic Crush" earrings in 18k Yellow and Pink "Crushed" Gold featuring Malaia Zircon center stones, accented with Diamonds and Malaia Sapphires, with Peach Moonstone drops.

She believes her customer would love these earrings because "the Pantone color of the year is a shade of pink called Honeysuckle. The Couture Collector is savvy enough to know this, so be on the lookout for jewels that speak to the trend."