For college students, those four years on campus can create enduring friendships and establish career-building relationships. That is especially true for fraternity and sorority members, whose loyalty to their Greek organization is lifelong.
To create “forever keepsakes” of those friendships, Balfour & Co. and partner Kendra Scott have collaborated on a fine jewelry collection that honors the Greek tradition and provides a memento of those memories.
It’s a personal and professional project to Denise Chumlea, vice president of design at Kendra Scott. Chumlea says this collection not only builds the relationship between the two companies but it also “commemorates tradition in a personalized way.”
“I was part of the Greek community in college and could never find jewelry or mementos with the quality that I desired,” Chumlea says. “The collaboration with Balfour highlights how we took a modern approach to provide fresh and innovative jewelry made with fantastic quality to celebrate colleges, sororities, and fraternities for a lifelong keepsake.”
This is the second collaboration between Balfour & Co. and Kendra Scott; its Kendra Scott class ring collection has been “highly successful,” Balfour says, so it was looking for that next step in creating high fashion jewelry for the college years.
With the pandemic, preserving precious memories around the college experience is especially important, says Jaclyn Cannon, chief digital and marketing officer at Balfour. Balfour wanted to be “intentional” about creating those positive, memorable moments, Cannon says.
“College is a time in our lives that is unlike any other. It’s a time for self-discovery, meeting new people, and submerging in new experiences, all without parents hovering around,” says Cannon, who was a member of Chi Omega at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss).
“For college-age students in the midst of a pandemic, that unique time comes with many stops and starts and added layers of uncertainty,” Cannon says. “In some ways, students and parents are cherishing memories more than in recent years because they were so abruptly taken away by COVID.”
The Kendra Scott Greek collection is customized, built, and ordered exclusively through Balfour & Co., which specializes in commencement services and products, such as its custom class rings. The Kendra Scott Greek collection is sold exclusively on Balfour.com.
Cannon says the partnership has been invigorating for everyone involved.
“Partnering with Kendra Scott has added a youthful spark to Balfour’s already high-quality products that speak to today’s students,” Cannon says. “One of the members of my team created a tagline when we launched with Kendra: ‘We are giving class jewelry a makeover.’ It’s true. The traditions are still the same, we just mixed it up a little, and it’s working.”
The collection features rings, necklaces, and pendants representing 108 fraternities and sororities, with additional Greek organizations being added over the next few months. Styles vary by organization, but the overall collection enables members and friends to represent their organization and show their Greek pride with eight jewelry styles: three women’s rings, three women’s necklaces, and two men’s rings, all created with Kendra Scott’s signature styles, stones, and metals.
There are many ways to customize a unique piece. Metal options range from sterling silver to 18k gold (white, yellow, and rose). In addition, pieces can be engraved with the organization’s Greek letters, crest and logo, and personalized elements such as the member’s initials, pledge date, and offices held.
“We designed pieces that people can wear with any outfit, for any occasion. These styles let individuals embrace the tradition of sisterhood and brotherhood to incorporate in their everyday life to continue the legacy,” Chumlea says. “I really love that we have expanded our offering of motifs that suit our design inclusion of bold and recognizable shapes of Kendra Scott. We not only offer Greek letters with this collection, but also the crests and symbols associated with each sorority and fraternity.”
Top: Kendra Scott and Balfour & Co. expanded their collaboration on college jewelry to focus on Greek life (all photos courtesy of Balfour & Co. and Kendra Scott).
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
