Contemporary Jewelry Design Group Appointment

I am a jewelry designer and a big fan of the jewelers who work around me. We know each other from exhibiting at the trade shows in Las Vegas, New York, Philadelphia, Anaheim, Tucson and elsewhere. We all use the same paint and canvas -- gemstones and metal -- but we have each developed our own language of symbols.

Creating jewelry is an art form and we all see the world through a different lens. Jewelry artists give the gift of their particular creativity, their aesthetic, to every object that they bring into existence. Jewelry is portable, wearable sculpture that elicits feelings of delight in the viewer and in those who wear it.

I am honored and humbled by my recent appointment to become the next president of The Contemporary Jewelry Design Group. I very much look forward to engaging with my fellow designers to increase their visibility among the jewelry-loving public.

I have been working with Marylouise Lugosch, Executive Director of the CJDG, to re-shape the vision for the group as we head into the digital age. To that end we have re-designed the CJDG website, working to make it a destination for those who love jewelry. It is a growing repository of designer profiles, stories of inspiration, gorgeous images, shopping guides, and observations on new directions in jewelry. We hope to inspire our visitors to find out more about each of the CJDG designers and their work. I am very much looking forward to working with the new board -- Vicente Agor, John Petet and Mark Schneider to expand the reach of this terrific group of designers.

The Contemporary Jewelry Design Group was founded in 1989.