Where Good Design Lives
Thank you for joining me in my la-la land of jewelry curation.
Many of you who read the About Us page know that the ESEO collection is built from jewelry acquired directly from designers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and suppliers. Over the last 30 years in this industry, I have found there are a lot of jewelry design talents out there. Talents are found on the street, in artisans' studios, in wholesalers' offices, all the way to manufacturers' offices. My experience tells me that they are different, but none is more important than the other. Some designers design only for what they personally like. Some design for the mass market, with the client in mind. And they are all part of their environment, borrowing ideas from their surroundings, from their culture, all the way to the people they interact with daily.
Jewelry design is unique in that good designs do not die. A diamond's brilliant cut has been around for centuries and is still the same cut we cherish today. A solitaire diamond ring stands against the test of time and is still the most popular ring in the fine jewelry market.
When we work with silver, we have the luxury of versatility and the freedom to be creative. We are freer to test and try out new designs, because the cost of material is a fraction of that of gold. Finishes ranging from handcrafted hammer finish to technology-heavy laser-cut finish can be experimented with, to cater to different tastes.
In the ESEO 2026 collection, I brought you moissanite instead of lab-grown diamond. To me, they are equally beautiful stones. Even lab-grown moissanite has a 4C standard like diamond does, though the parameters are different from those of diamond. In truth, moissanite can easily be cleaner than diamond, and thus more brilliant. But the price is one-tenth of lab-grown diamond, so we are freer to use it on our creative projects and come up with more styles than lab-grown diamond allows. Take a look at our moissanite's quality in the comfort of your own home and let me know what you think.
For design, I appreciate complex minimalist design, if that is not an oxymoron. That is why the Form Study collection is my pick in the store. I am always pleasantly surprised to find good designs from a small manufacturer who might be designing for a niche market in Korea or Japan, with vibes that are totally different from North America. Just plain white silver with a design twist. My picks in this collection are the Bowing Pin Earring and the Gathering Earring.
When I was a supplier to The Shopping Channel, my favorite buyer was Craig Ferrier, a wonderful, warm presence who is sorely missed. He once told me that the teardrop-shape silver earring is a classic, always loved by viewers. That comment stayed with me, and I brought back the Droplet Silver Earring in the Form Study section, in his memory. It is indeed an easy-to-wear shape, with a relatively large reflective surface that brightens the wearer's face.
Life feels good when you are having fun. I am so glad I've stayed in the industry long enough to keep enjoying the happiness that comes from being surrounded by beautiful objects. I hope you will continue to join me in this journey, and I will be so happy to share it with you along the way.