beauty addict

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The best designers you’ve never heard of.

Gem Dandy
At Beth Lauren, vibrant stones and intricate details are combined to create modern treasures.

Name: Beth Silverberg
Business: Jewelry by Beth Lauren (Bethlauren.com)
Location: New York City

When did you first become interested in jewelry design?
Ever since kindergarten, art had been my favorite subject. And the summer after my sophomore year in college, my sister suggested that we start an accessories line called Betty & June. So I started going to flea markets and rummaging through my grandmother’s vintage jewelry. I reworked the pieces I found with semiprecious stones, then sold them to area boutiques.

What prompted you to start the Beth Lauren line? When did you realize that you had become successful?
After I graduated college, I searched for fashion- and jewelry-related jobs and got so fed up with the process that I decided to return to making my own jewelry. I realized the line was a success when I came up to New York for Henri Bendel’s Open See and was accepted to do a trunk show with my collection. At that point, I knew I could make the business work.

How do you choose your materials?
I like to pick out my materials in person so that I can get a sense of the stones’ color, weight, and style. I only use semiprecious stones, and I’m constantly evolving and pushing myself to create new combinations and styles with them. In addition to the Ambrosia collection, I have the Kalima collection, in which woven and braided rope, appliqués, trims, chains, feathers, lace, and chiffon are combined to create convertible and versatile pieces.

Where are your designs currently available, and what are your price points?
My designs are currently available though my website, and my prices range from $130 to $250.

Do you have a signature design or piece?
The Radicchio Pendant has become my signature piece. It’s made in a 14-karat-gold-filled chain, which architecturally frames the semiprecious stones, forming a distinctive diamond shape.

How would you describe the Beth Lauren customer?
My customers tend to be modern, stylish women in their 20s and 30s with an eye for color, detail, and of course, beautiful jewelry. I try to create pieces that they won’t find anywhere else, and I think my work has become identifiable to them.

Your pieces are often named after edibles—kaffir, radicchio, sassafrass. What inspired these names?
I began the collection with the idea that I would name all of the pieces after fruit. I soon ran out of fruit names, then moved on to vegetables and nuts, and I’m currently using spices. I’m quickly running out of names, though!

Do you have any fashion icons or role models?
I’m often inspired the innovative styles on the runways. And my grandmother has always been my fashion icon—I rarely leave the house without wearing at least one vintage piece of hers.

What do you envision for the future, both for you personally and for the Beth Lauren brand?
I plan to expand the line to boutiques and retailers across the country. And personally, I’d love to start collaborating with a fashion designer to create a jewelry collection specifically for a clothing line.

And if you had to describe the Beth Lauren line in ten words or less?
Modern garnish for the fashion obsessed!

The cascading Citronella Earrings ($210) feature elongated drops of pale lavender amethyst, accented with a faceted quartz briolette.

A 14-karat-gold-filled chain frames the Licorice Lariat’s ($220) garnet stones, forming two diamond-shaped drops.

The Sassafras Earrings ($250) showcases a beaded briolette cradled in fine chain.

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