Park City, Utah–based jewelry designer Meredith Marks combines geometry, negative space, and interchangeability in her signature 14k gold and sterling line.
Photo by Chris Yih
Jewelry designer Meredith Marks of Meredith Marks Designs
Company principal: Meredith Marks
Headquarters: Park City, Utah, and Chicago
Year firm launched: 2009
Signature style: I make convertible pieces with geometry and negative space—so much that you get a sizable piece that is reasonably priced while still feeling feminine and wearable.
Training, education, and design process: I got my undergraduate degree in fine arts, was a model for a while, and earned degrees in law and business—a graduate degree in law from Northwestern University of Chicago and an MBA from the Kellogg Business School at Northwestern. I worked in real estate development and owned a health club but wasn’t really happy. Then in November of 2004, I was aggressively mugged on one of the safest streets in Chicago, which made me realize that life is too short to do something I didn’t love. So I spent five years trying to figure that out, in between being a wife, mother, and doing a little stock trading for myself, before realizing that I loved jewelry. People told me I was nuts to start a jewelry business during the worst recession of our lifetime, but I knew the markets and that it was a great time to start a business—despite the high barriers to entry. Everyone who was already in business was carrying old inventory, so I got folks to work with me on a small scale because they had nothing else going on. I took some GIA classes in diamonds and colored stones and started sketching designs that are now made in the U.S., Hong Kong, and India.
Materials of choice: Sterling silver with black rhodium or 14k rose or yellow gold and 18k gold upon request.
Jewelry trade show exhibits: JCK Las Vegas, ENK International’s Accessories Circuit (January, May, August), Centurion South Beach in October.
Accounts: 25 in the U.S. including Material Possessions in Chicago, and one abroad—Progetto Agencies in Oslo, Norway.
Starting retail price: $150 in silver and $300 in 14k gold.
Retailer buy-in: About eight pieces for a proper representation.
Video demonstrating Meredith Marks’ convertible jewelry
Raquel ring in silver with 0.42 ct. t.w. diamonds, $675
Tori necklace in 14k gold with 0.5 ct. t.w. diamonds, $1,995
Mary Navette earrings in 14k gold with 0.98 ct. t.w. diamonds, $2,495
Lily in 14k gold with 22.39 ct. amethyst and 0.77 ct. t.w. diamonds converts to a necklace, ring, and pendant, $4,440
Sistene cuff in 14k rose gold with 1.89 cts. t.w. diamonds, $4,900
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