Oh, Henry!
After a tumultuous several years including bankruptcy in 2009 and losing the right in 2010 to use his own business name to Sandawana Holdings Ltd. (the buyer of his intellectual property), Henry Dunay, “the father of the American school of jewelry design,” is back in the design seat at his own HDD Inc. in New York City.
Since 2010, he’s been quietly crafting one-offs for private clients and retailers. Dunay recently created a suite of pink topaz pieces for Somewhere in the Rainbow in Scottsdale, Ariz., a hands-on educational agency that maintains an extensive gem and jewelry collection. “We are all about collecting fine gemstones and having great designers make iconic pieces for the collection,” explains curator and manager Shelly Sergent. “It’s almost impossible to have a modern and contemporary jewelry collection without Henry Dunay.”
For his part, Dunay says he’s just fine partnering with old industry friends on custom designs that benefit from his decades of experience. “I’m more involved with the customers now,” he adds.
Metal Head
Co-extruded band in 18k gold and black titanium; $799; Spectore, Deerfield Beach, Fla.; 800-422-0220; spectore.com
Metallurgist/jeweler/alternative-metal pioneer Edward Rosenberg might have outdone himself with his More Than One initiative, debuting at JCK.
The premise of the 15-years-in-the-making technology—which molecularly incorporates gold (among other metals) into titanium and other alternative metals—”is to deliver a new look in precious metal jewelry at a reasonable price,” says Rosenberg, CEO of Deerfield Beach, Fla.–based Edward Mirell and its parent, Spectore Corp. The debut collection comprises 25 SKUs, starting at $249 retail.
Fluctuating metals prices and increasingly emaciated-looking gold jewelry inspired Rosenberg to look for a solution beyond mere bonded metals. “It’s not so much about weight reduction as it is about look, durability, and the way pieces wear,” he says.