Beautiful ladies compact with rose and bee detail.
Jay Strongwater has earned an international reputation for his exquisite whimsical creations, but his story is also something of a fairytale.
Inspired originally in 1979, as a sophomore student at the Rhode Island School of Design, Jay created a bejewelled necklace as a gift for his mother. Seeing its potential, he set up a cottage industry, employing fellow students to help him paint his designs by night and studying by day. He soon found himself designing jewellery for Oscar de la Rente's catwalk shows.
However in the 1990's the winds of fashion changed and delicate, understated styles of jewellery became vogue. So, as Christmas 1994 approached, Jay set about making intricately decorated pictureframes, constructed of jewellery parts and still in his unique flamboyant style, as gifts for his friends and buyers. They were an instant hit, and within three years his 'Jewels for the Home' had replaced his fashion accessories business.
Over a decade later Jay has attracted a following of famous collectors. Using pewter, bronze and copper as base metals, each piece is lavishly enamelled by hand and then set with Swarovski crystals and occasionally semi-precious stones. No detail is overlooked, the boxes are enamelled inside and the frames bejewelled on the back. The feel of luxury and decadence magically created when you hold each piece, opens up a world of imagination and inspiration.