Jamie Joseph: Designer

When I think of Jamie Joseph, I think color! I envision handfuls of rings in every hue, as perfectly shown in this photo from their cool Instagram feed.

jamie joseph rings
At the end of one particular day at Couture, I briefly was introduced to Jamie and her husband, Jeremy, by Melissa Joy Manning. I promised to come back the following day for the full tour of the line. Though Jamie was off buying stones when I came back, (Jeremy said, “She is a stone hound!”) I was able to spend some quality time with Jeremy getting the whole backstory on them and the jewels.

It turns out this story goes way back, all the way to the University of Kansas, where they met when they were only 20 years old! Jamie was getting her degree in economics, though she managed to take a singular jewelry making class. When they embarked on a “destiny trip” they landed in Seattle. They traveled until everything felt right, and things just fell into place, from a job to a great place to live. Jamie, though, lasted only one week interning at Merrill Lynch, and she soon found her new path in jewelry. (I’m so glad she took that class in college!)

Studying at the Jewelry Arts Institute in NYC, Jamie really started developing her craft. All the meanwhile, Jeremy was busy with his woodworking. (Quite handy, as he built her bench and studio.) Back in the day, they would sell their wares (sterling silver dancing bear earrings and wooden wands) at Grateful Dead shows. Everything would sell out. Her earrings were a hot commodity.

grateful dead dancing bears
Fast forward to the 1990’s, and Jamie was spotted by a retailer, wearing a ring of her own design. He quickly sold all six rings she gave him, and that’s when things really started taking off. Soon, Jeremy found himself learning to cut stones. He told me that it was trial by fire — he started cutting Peruvian opal, and kept practicing until he got it right. For the past 13 years, Jeremy has been the full-time stone cutter for the line, and if I must say, he’s pretty darn fabulous at it.

This is the Dahlia ring, which is one of their signature styles. This particular one is a round hand-faceted carnelian with a bezel-set diamond, set in 14K gold on a sterling silver band. Jeremy commented that the diamond is the “beauty mark” on the ring. Adorbs!

jamie joseph dahlia ring

Though color is a powerful theme in their line, I was also (no surprise) drawn to the range of neutral shades. Neutrals are my vibe!

jamie joseph rings
The new collection they were showing features stones that have cracks through them, with artistic 22K gold detailing. I think they’re fabulous! Truly unique.

jamie joseph rings
They came up with this idea when a boulder opal he was cutting broke in half. (Yikes!) Apparently, there have been quite a few broken bits along the way, and they live in an African wooden bowl in their studio called “The Boneyard.”

jamie joseph  gem boneyard
They started turning these “mistakes” into amazing new designs. I think the back of the pieces are just as pretty.

jamie joseph ring, backside
And take a look at the necklaces as well.

jamie joseph necklaces
Speaking of necklaces, they also have a lovely collection of multi-prong twin teardrop lockets. They come in a range of stones. Here are a few — in rock crystal, pyrite, and lapis lazuli.

jamie joseph rock crystal locket necklace
jamie joseph pyrite and lapis lazuli twin teardrop lockets
I couldn’t resist trying on this Galaxy cuff with the dreamiest of opals.

jamie joseph galaxy opal cuff
By now, you may be VERY ready to see this line in person. Lucky for you, they sell at retailers across the globe. Click here to find a location near you. They also are represented in many online shops, if you prefer to shop from the comfort of your living room.

Thank you very much, Jeremy, for spending so much time with me and sharing the story behind the brand!

jeremy joseph and amy roseveare

10 thoughts on “Jamie Joseph: Designer”

  1. I love the opal bracelet but my favorites are the broken pieces fixed with gold – awesome!! Great pieces and article 🙂

  2. We truly love our Jamie Joseph collection. Especially the twin teardrop lockets! What a unique design!! Thanks for sharing a bit more about the creations of this fabulous couple

  3. A bit late.. but the teardrop lockets and the galaxy cuff look gorgeous!! The colours of it are truly amazing, thank you for sharing this!

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