ARTIST PROFILE

Jewelry designer and entrepreneur Sandy Jones has had a lifelong love affair with pearls. Her fascination began when she was a child. To celebrate the joyous birth of each sibling, her mother received a special strand of new pearls. Even as a child, Jones distinctly remembers the sparkle in her mother's eyes each time she put on one of her pearl necklaces.
Jones' adult romance with pearls continued as she learned the traditional Chinese art of stringing pearls on silk. Soon after, she started Sandy's Serendipities and began adding colored stones and gold beads. One of her early creations captured the spirit of her childhood memories. The New Mother Necklace (1984) integrated white akoya pearls with either blue sapphires (boy) or rubles (girl), accented with gold beads.
Jones spent time on both sides of the jewelry business, working in various specialty stores and galleries, where she would design pieces for clients. Interacting with customers provided her with insights about their attitudes, and has in turn inspired Jones' current design vision.
Her career took a dramatic turn in 1996 as she walked through the estate department at the Saks Fifth Avenue store in Atlanta, Georgia. Jones was approached by a sales person who asked where she had purchased the necklace she was wearing. Upon learning that Jones was the designer, she was immediately introduced to the department manager. Thus began a long and profitable relationship with Saks Fifth Avenue.
While working at a jewelry gallery in 1997, Jones created the Kitchen Sink Necklace. Used as a necklace or wrapped as a bracelet each long, one of a kind strand of multicolored stones and pearls was accented with gold beads. The monochromatic or
contrasting creations truly were a collection of "everything except the kitchen sink." Ahead
of her time, very long strands have again appeared as a hot trend in 2005.
In 1997, Jones launched her Micro Necklace Collection. These miniature hand made chains used accents of tiny pearls or precious stones, each with a central drop. The clean and elegant line of micros remains one of Jones' signatures to this day. Antique jewelry lovers have embraced the use of these 'Micro' chains to feature heirloom pendants and brooches.
After more than 20 years in the jewelry business, Jones' love of pearls and gemstones has continued to grow, as well as her line of jewelry. Designs now include a large range of pearls and precious stones in a rainbow of hues, shapes and sizes. Her
signature "risotto" shaped bead is found on most necklaces. The warmth of high karat yellow gold and the coolness of pure platinum are the metals Jones chooses to use in all her design work.
Jones' one-of-a-kind designs have appeared in galleries and stores throughout the United States under the company name, PEARLWORKS by Sandy Jones. Her design vision continues to inspire the marriage of highest quality pearls with unusual precious stones and metals. Jones' goal is to create jewelry that is subtle yet striking and the perfect accent to an elegant outfit, business attire, or a great t-shirt.