Interview notes with Gina:
Intro paragraph: describe a scene of Gina working on a tassle based piece in the back room. Took out:: Tassles. “I’m working on one.. I’m so into it” “I wrapped every single pearl with gold wire and gold beads.” Wrap with my hands, and some tools and specila technique, and I casted these pieces with diamonds. This is all hand wrapped.” “thinking to remove this and cast a big emerald and put in diamond”
-“I got introduced to jewelry and gems through my gradmother” She had an Art-deco collection. “when you’re younger, you would connect it to magic” green emeralds; string on pearls with silk (what her grandmother had and fascinated her). Gina started wire wrapping age 8 or 9
-born in Iran immigrated to Germany after revolution. Went to school, dad wanted me to go into the medical field. “I studied gemology and I opened a jewelry store in Germany when I was 20” I collected a lot of my clientele base then. Did a lot of expos and trade shows ” I lived in my suitcase for 2 years”. It was very gem and gold/silver based (her designs/collections). I went into the wholesale businesses and served jewelers. I had a showroom in Cologne Germany and I would display my pieces I made myself.
“A lot of learning by doing:, and more and more got refined and I went into diamonds”
“Had the store for 5 years, and decided to fully move to the states.” I am a gemologist so worked to appraise and doing the buying for some South African companies—how I met my fiancé.
Started buying diamonds together and buying and selling them on a daily basis. He was in the wholesale business.
Her current store in the WHDD: all of her designs, minus generic designs (engagement rings- simple solidare).
“Most of our pieces are extremely fashion forward. What we try to do is go based with trends, but always use the highest quality diamonds. We do not stock commercial goods” Color and clarity is on high standards.
A lot of rose gold and V designs and spike/edge rings that can be stacked. “we like to be a little more edgey, but at the same time elegant”
“our clientele is so diverse. We have the housewives that are extrememly fashion nforward 30+” “most of our clients are still very trendy. We have a lot of artists in the entertainment and younger” “we have older gentlemen for occasions and always amazing”
Try to emphasize the fashion-forwardness because it really refines us with the timeless touch: diamonds gold.
“we are specialized in custom work. we are very well known for our wide-range of engagement rings”
Black gold** “we have an entire line.” “we switch the inventory constantly because we have an office in downtown LA”
“Another style that we like to focus on a lot, is to take different era (retro or art deco) and rework it into a timeless modern piece”
-Shows an art deco pink diamonds with spider prongs. “what is important to us is workmanship, and revisiting these older pieces and paying tribute to their designs” “very very important to have the hand-engraved details and stones.”
“from the time we spend with the customer here, we have 1 on 1 appointments with the customer, from the sketch to the drawing all the way to the computer drawing, and cast to finish a complicated piece, I’d say if I worked on it non-stop a week.” “if we have a lot of orders, maybe 2”
“I work 6 days a week. Mondays I am at the workshop and have jewelers including myself working on the pieces”
Stock stones or as soon as we cut stones—we purchase our own roughs and send them to cutting to get them certified. Independent lab GIA and EGL USA. Mainly GIA.
Typical days: “we don’t have typical days.” “seems very calm and quiet” giggles about back-room. We should have our own reality show. Maybe mafia inspired with the purchasing and transit of diamonds. “our days are crazy” “high-profile customer. He was purchasing a presidential rolex and a gold chain. So he stormed out and denied dog”
Tuesday-Saturday. “it is very unusual” “when I studied gemology because back then I just loved the world of gems and jewelry and I wanted to be educated and certified.” “once I did that, I got it out of the way, and it is going to be very helpful for the future. But what I wanted to do is make jewelry and start designing. That was where my heart was.” And I always loved the world of trade “I am a businesswomen, through and through. I just love it, it gives me that excitement.”
“it helps me having owning a store.. because I work with the customer and am making the jewelry in the back.
“I’ve been in jewelry all my life. I never gave that up.” “our glasses line. Wayfarer glasses. 3 different designs. Solid gold- unisex. Started a year ago custom engraving.
“in Europe, we have our pieces in several stores.” Thinking about now selling her pieces in department stores, “when you design your own pieces, it’s not that it’s hard to design in quanity, but it takes – its hard to explain, but it takes a certain feeling to go out. When you design something, it’s something very personal. I chose to design and sell them but everytime someone admires a pieces or a client buys them, you still get excited” “so you have to be brave”
Company Tagline/Description on their website: Gina Amir Atelier specializes in custom designing pieces for clients. Many people will make an appointment to speak with Gina, the designer. Together, a design is dreamed up, drawn out and agreed upon. In addition, many clients have heirloom jewelry they wish to reimagine and redesign for modern wear. We can take the piece and transform it into something completely different or we can just alter it a tiny bit, in order to keep the sentimental value, it’s all up to you! You dream it, we create it!
- What makes Gina Amir Atelier unique?
We have a way of finding that perfect balance between the many style extremes, while keeping pieces timeless. Taking ideas and styles from many different eras and converting them for modern wear.
- What’s your favorite part of your job?
I love that I can use my creativity to dream up designs and make them come to life, make them into real, tangible pieces.
- What do you hope your clients take away?
I wish for my clients to take away a timeless piece that they can cherish forever, and then pass it on for generations to come.
- What’s been your favorite/most interesting client project or piece you’ve designed?
Oh my gosh, there are sooo many! Wow, this is difficult to decide. Well, one project that was close to my heart was a woman who had horrible arthritis, she hadn’t been able to wear her rings for over 10 years due to not being able to slide them on anymore. So I designed a clasp for all of her rings, making it possible for her to be able to put her rings on comfortably again. After I finished with all of her rings, She cried, she was so happy. But the most interesting project was from one of my high-profile clients. He requested I fit over 1000 fancy yellow pear shaped diamonds on to one necklace. Each diamond was near 1 carat, so you can imagine the sheer size of the piece! There was a lot of maneuvering, but it turned out so gorgeous.
- Where do you draw inspiration from for your designs?
My inspiration comes from my every day life. Anything from the leaves I see outside in nature to the patterns on a hotel wallpaper. Just the other day, an elevator door was my muse. Anything can inspire me.
- What’s your current “obsession?”
Well, I have many. My long-time obsession is of green emeralds. My always and every day obsession is diamonds, especially fancy yellow! But I have to say my current obsession is anything black gold & large ornaments, bringing back the art deco feel
- What’s your favorite brand + designer + restaurant?
Oh, that’s not a fair question to ask! I find beauty in every designer’s work. I truly love so many brands and designers. A couple that stand out for me are Coco Chanel and Balmain. However, I cannot say I like any one brand more than another.
My favorite restaurant… again, I love so many but I would have to say, The Ivy. I could dive into their spaghetti and meatballs every day.
- What do you like to do outside of work?
I love to shop! But really, I love to travel in my off time. The beach, a spa resort, anywhere near the water, I’m happy. I’m obsessed with the infinite, limitless feel of the ocean.
- Why did you choose the design district for your store? What’s your favorite part about the design district?
I chose the design district because I wanted to be in a place where I’m surrounded by companies & designers with similar ambitions and ideologies as I have. Our company embraces creativity and art, as does the entire design district. We don’t just make pieces to be an easy sell, we make pieces we find beautiful.
My favorite part of the design district is that it just feels “alive”. This is the epicenter of trendsetting from all worlds of design. I love it!
