Lori Leven, New York Adorned
Having recently relocated from New York to Tucson, The Inside Source writer and fashion expert Jen Smith not only gets to attend the annual Tucson Rodeo Parade, but also has the chance to catch up with the country's finest jewelry designers when they come into town for the Gem Show, a two-week long, city-wide showcase of gems, minerals and fossils. She spoke to fine jewelry designers Lori Leven, who also owns jewelry boutique New York Adorned, and Melissa Joy Manning, two very worldly women who are wholly creative, down-to-earth, and totally geeked out on rocks. If they wouldn't share the contents of their Gem Show shopping trip, at least they would identify some eBay picks for The Inside Source. Here, a conversation with Lori Leven, the first in a series of two articles. To read the other article, a conversation with Melissa Joy Manning, click here. —The Editors
“I have two loves—tattooing and jewelry," says Lori Leven of New York Adorned, a sexy, sophisticated, yet low-key jewelry boutique-slash-tattoo salon with locations in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn. The shops sell Leven's own line of jewelry as well as luxuriously intricate pieces from other designers. "When I first opened my boutique [in 1996], tattooing was still illegal in New York and had been since the Sixties. Basically, the jewelry was a front. The funny thing is, the jewelry became a hit! The store became a destination for Upper East Side ladies looking to get some edgy downtown style. I also think these women made the trip to Avenue A [downtown] because they thought they were being rather 'naughty' by buying jewelry in a 'tat' parlor! This phenomenon introduced a whole new crowd to the art of tattooing—all because of the draw of the gorgeous jewelry.”
New York Adorned Jewelry, clockwise from top left: Black Sterling and 18k Boulder Opal Necklace; Gold, Pearl, and Garnet Pin Hoops; 18k Yellow Gold Boulder Opal Rings
The Inside Source: Lori, what is your approach to finding the right gem?
Lori Leven: I am greatly influenced by Ayurveda and by aesthetics. Ayurveda talks a lot about what gemstones do for you depending on the size and the type of stone. They are used for healing, mind clarity, heartache, and to attract the right mate! Aesthetically, I look for color change and light refraction—what gives depth and character to the stone.
TIS: Is there a particular process you follow in your jewelry making?
LL: Of course, it starts with inspiration, and New York City is a treasure trove for me. The next step is to translate the inspiration into a wearable object. Sometimes I work from the stone to the setting, and I make jewelry without gems [too], so sometimes the process is reversed.
TIS: When you look at a rock, can you see what it will become?
LL: I instantly “see” it. Sometimes, though, I come across an amazing stone and I have to stare at it awhile. The jewelry piece then emerges.
TIS: What are your favorite stones to wear?
LL: I wear stones I’m currently working with, so [right now], I’m wearing rose cute diamonds, Herkimer diamonds, boulder opals and unusual quartz. And I’m really into the “weirdo” stones—especially unfamiliar ones where people don’t know what to do with them!
TIS: So, are there any stones you find yourself going to again and again?
LL: (laughs) Diamonds. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend!
Lori Leven Goes Gem Hunting on eBay
1. New 0.81 Ct. White H Color Natural Diamond Mix Lot Rose Cut (buy it now price, $339) Leven chose this lot of diamonds “because they look like water. A rose cut is so special to me because it reminds me of sunlight on water,” she muses. “A beautiful, calming effect with unexpected colors appearing and disappearing.”
2. 6 Pieces Herkimer Diamond Quartz Crystal (buy it now price, $15) “A Herkimer diamond is a double-terminated quartz crystal. Large pieces magnify what is behind them and they are said to help the wearer in dream recall.”
3. Rutilated Hair Quartz Cabochon with Phantom (buy it now price, $300.00) “I love this stone with the phantoms and bits because it looks like nature suspended in ice. I love working with stones that are mysterious and less understood."
4. Koroit Rough Boulder Opal (buy it now price, $100) “As a child, I would pick up pebbles from the dirt and marvel at their individual beauty. A boulder opal is at base a simple pebble, mixed in with the complex and beautiful color patterns that you only find in an opal.”
A freelance editor who recently relocated to Tucson from New York, Jen Smith was the Fashion Director at Cookie. Before that, she was the Senior Fashion Editor at Lucky.
