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About Jewel Rose Designs
…delightful and unique ornaments for the discriminating woman…
Present Day...
Our elegant custom pieces have been handcrafted since 2004. Rose's granddaughter Roz Heiko continues in the family tradition of handwork. The studio is located in Cary, North Carolina.
Myths, legends, and fairy tales have always been engaging to me. Many of the legends of ancient goddesses in all the traditions such as Sarasvati, Oshun, Maya, Ixchel, Athena, and Brigit: all represent the human aspiration to light the creative spark, and pay homage to the creative arts and adornment. Every set of beads tells a different story - of emotion (for example, of passion, contentment, exhilaration, the peace of a journey's end) or of the archetypal elements of Fire, Water, Air, Metal and Earth.
We women are often drawn to a particular element's coloring in our clothing and jewelry to express our individual nature and enthusiasms.
My inspiration is from the colors of the beadstones themselves. Subtle shadings and mixes produce an exciting blend for my pieces, which contain semiprecious stones (for instance: garnet, chalcedony, citrine, ametrine, peridot, jasper), Czech beads, Swarovski crystals, and pearls. Each piece is therefore unique.
Jewel Rose Designs offers customers the ability to change colors or stones as they choose, creating a truly personalized piece of jewelry. To place an order or discuss a custom designed piece, email info@jewelrosedesigns.com. In the past, Jewel Rose Designs has had the delightful experience of exhibiting at trunk shows at Possibilities Boutique in Cary, Galetea in Raleigh, Imaginese at Stone Creek Village in Cary, and at the 2007 Boylan Heights Artwalk in Raleigh.
Once Upon a Time...
Rose Kimmel was born in Russia in a small village near Kiev in the Ukraine, one of the middle children of about eight. My Yiddish name is "Razel", after my grandmother's name. According to my mother, her daughter Zelda, she was "the glue that held the family together". Rose's parents, Sheva and Beryl Wolf, were orphans whom the community married at the tender ages of 12 and 16.
Rose was described as very astute, and an entrepeneur. When she was 13 years old, a couple in her village helped her establish her own successful tobacco shop (who knew at that time what tobacco could do to the human system?). Rose spoke Russian, Yiddish and English. She wanted to better herself when she came to America at about age 19, and began going to night school to learn English and cooking, since her orphaned mother Sheva was reportedly a terrible cook.
Rose was an inventive and creative chef, who also loved handwork with crocheting, knitting and sewing clothes on her Singer sewing machine. Rose had excellent taste in clothing and manners. According to my mother, Rose always knew the right thing to do, and was "very shrewd, even though she never had a formal education as she would have liked". She was a compassionate woman.
At one time, as the president of three charitable clubs, she was easily able to get people to donate to needy families. She was always available to her own family to help out when needed, financially or otherwise. One of the funny stories my mother tells is about how the families of Rose and my grandfather Max Haber used a "shadchan", a go-between, to arrange their marriage. Grandfather Max was an extremely shy man. When he was introduced to the lovely Rose, he became even more tongue-tied, and retreated behind a newspaper during their first meeting, which infuriated Rose. She was not accustomed to such treatment! Rose became very close with one of her sister-in-laws in particular; and Tanna would say, "There's no Rose that grows in the garden like our Rose". People adored her.
Roz Heiko loves sparkle, shadow and depth. She believes, as Maya Angelou does, that "well, if I'd known better I'd have done better". This means that she offers herself and others the very best of her abilities. She is self-taught as a jewelry designer. Her mission is to create jewelry to celebrate the Feminine and enjoy the play of light and color in the designs. This work balances and is shaped by her experiences as a therapist. She lives in Cary, North Carolina. On a yearly basis, 10% her her work is donated to the nonprofit NC Therapy 4 Kids (www.nctherapy4kids.com), a training, research and clinical agency dedicated to serving the unmet mental health needs of children and families in Wake County, North Carolina.
Comments from Jewelry Customers
"Jewelry made by Roz not only shimmers and sparkles, but is unique art. She uses rare, intuitive insight in selecting gems and beads. Colors and shapes flow together in astonishingly, imaginative ways. The person who wears her jewelry and all who feast eyes upon it, will understand Robert Penn Warren's words, 'delicious on tongue of spirit and joyful in eye-beam!'"
Laura Swanson
Raleigh, NC
"Roz's originally designed jewelry is remarkable in its style, color and materials. I love her bracelets made with crystal beads and necklaces of cut crystal and semi-precious stones. Wonderful for gifts if you can bear to part with them. When I wear her pieces I feel a piece of her soul moving through me."
Lauren C.
San Francisco, CA
"Every time I wear a piece of Roz's jewelry, I get compliments. Each piece shows her care and craftsmanship as well as her awesome inspiration! Her prices can't be beat for the quality and uniqueness of her designs."
Carla Bernstein
Raleigh, NC
Elaine Ray is a Ceramic Bead Designer who makes lovely, earth-toned beads. She featured one of my necklaces in her blog, which used one of her Tangerine Toggles. http://elaineray.blogspot.com/2007/03/blog-post.html
Artwork credit: Crys Rivers