FORSYTHE JEWELERS PUTS FOCUS ON DESIGNERS
Hilton Head Island’s trusted source for designer jewelry, Forsythe Jewelers has been in Sea Pines Center since its inception in the 1980s. Since the beginning, owner Andrea Bragg said, the shop has focused on the top names in design.
“Some jewelry stores are more private labels, but we’ve gone the designer way,” she said. “The designers are names that people know and trust. They may not know Andrea Bragg or Forsythe Jewelers, but they know Roberto Coin and David Yurman. These are the top designers, the most well-known that you find at fine jewelry boutiques.”
Every designer has unique qualities. Roberto Coin’s line from Italy was one of the first that Forsythe started carrying. His collections of 18-carat yellow, white and rose-gold pieces highlight themes of romance, elegance and nature. And Bragg has taken care to nurture a relationship with the designer; in fact, when Coin visited Forsythe Jewelers about five years ago, he invited her to have dinner with his wife at their home in Italy. Bragg said it’s these long-standing, personal ties to the creative minds behind the jewelry that allow Forsythe to stay in the know — and helps them advise their clients on how to cultivate their own senses of style.
“We always encourage our clients to mix and match,” Bragg said. “You can layer a Roberto Coin gold bracelet and add a two-toned bracelet. Wear Lagos and David Yurman together. It’s all about layering what looks good together. You don’t know until you try it.”
Here, a few other members of the knowledgeable Forsythe staff share their fashion-forward tips:
Barb Panciera: Don’t overlook David Yurman’s gold pieces.Customers know David Yurman for his sterling and mixed metal chunky pieces, but often are surprised at the yellow gold line that’s available. We have seven cases of Yurman jewelry — that’s an enormous selection to a collector.
Lindsey Clare: Mix and match.The biggest trend in jewelry seems to be the stacking of rings, bracelets and necklaces. Most women have jewelry that means a lot to them, but it needs to be repurposed so that they wear them more often. We can add pieces to stack to give them a different look.
Laurie McKenzie: Rings take a lot of wear and tear and I ask my customers to think about adding a collection of rings that they can change with their outfits. I love that color is back in style — colored stones in rings make a great addition to what you are wearing and allowing you to keep bracelets and necklaces more neutral.
Rebecca Lovette: Many customers don’t realize that we offer a service to change or modernize older jewelry into something new and usable. I’m assisting with the design of about five projects currently, all using heirloom items as precious as a grandfather’s class ring and stones from family jewelry.
IF YOU GO
Forsythe Jewelers hosts monthly events for its customers: A John Hardy trunk show will be held July 5-6, followed by a Gurhan event in August. September will focus on custom design; a Roberto Coin trunk show will be held in October and November will bring Marco Bicego to Forsythe for a personal appearance.
