CPAA Affiliate Member Spotlight — pearl jewelry

CPAA Affiliate Member Spotlight: Annette Wachter of RudyBlu Jewelry Annette Wachter’s RudyBlu Jewelry business blossomed three years ago when the onetime photo stylist and pet boutique owner decided to pursue her growing passion for jewelry. Wachter had long been friends with a store owner local to her in Stanwood, Wash., and had also attended an annual gem show held in Seattle. She even made ammunition jewels out of expired rounds (“I’m a member of the U.S. Rifle team,” she explains). Eventually, she took metalsmithing classes at the Pratt Fine Arts Center in the city, a move that cemented her love...

From the April 2021 issue of #thisispearl digital magazine   Sarah Pallone of Ocean’s Cove Jewelry debuted her business in late 2016 as her career in public policy started to shift (she had worked for the Obama administration). Long a jewelry hobbyist, Pallone dabbled in some classes and self-taught initiatives, as well as taking Pearls As One, and threw herself into her favorite creative pursuit when administrations changed. When a woman in her local grocery store bought a piece right off her neck, she was encouraged to keep making beachy-chic designs with her signature “funky link” chain aesthetic—a nod to the...