amazing designers
MEET the Long’s Jewelers is proud to carry the collections of Sia Taylor, Zoë Chicco, Melissa Joy Manning, and Suzy Landa. Each of these designers has a profound dedication to their craft. They are also equally as dedicated to the missions behind their brands. We were honored to sit down with these amazing women and find out more about their history, inspirations, and accomplishments.
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18K Tri Gold Rainbow Trail Earrings by Sia Taylor
SIA TAYLOR Occupied with all things tiny and natural, Sia Taylor brings the beauty of the little things to your jewelry style.After studying Fine Arts and Sculpture from the Royal College in London, Sia Taylor set out on a research mission in Africa. During her time in the Okavango Delta, Taylor focused her work on the small things in life, taking inspiration for her sculptures from seeds, pods, grass blades, and insects. “The work that I made while studying fine art was always using a very simple language of materials – dense dark lead contrasted with glowing copper leaf, and that is something that has carried through into the jewelry.” While jewelry making wasn’t originally her chosen career path, Taylor says she still continues to focus on how the natural world would feel being worn.
“I imagine how it would feel if the falling rain turned to gold, or how it would feel to wear shimmering grasses around your wrists. I hope to capture that sensation – so something reminiscent of it, rather than literal. Movement is very important in my pieces. I try to capture intangible things – fleeting moments – and make them into something to be worn or held.” Throughout Sia Taylor’s collections, you’ll find a mixture of colored golds. Her commitment to stay away from gemstones and create pieces solely using metals helps her collections stand out. Everything in her collections is hand-crafted in her England-based studios in Somerset and Bristol. Sia Taylor’s designs are just as beloved by women in the UK as women in the US.
18K Tri Gold Full Songbird Bracelet by Sia Taylor
LONG’S IS HONORED TO HIGHLIGHT THESE AMAZING DESIGNERS, SHOWCASING WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL.
MELLISSA JOY MANNING When her journey as a designer began, Melissa Joy Manning was advised against working with local artists, domestic labor, and resources. But thankfully, she didn’t take “no” for an answer! Instead, Manning defied the odds. “I can say that I was able to offer living working wages, benefits, and a place for other artists to pursue their craft while being profitable. And, when the artists leave to start their own lines, I have worked with many of them to support their fledgling businesses as both a mentor and customer (selling their work in my stores.) Coupled with my commitment to ethical manufacturing and responsible resources, I am very proud to have built a company that not only makes beautiful jewelry but makes significant changes in the jewelry industry and our community.” Today, Melissa Joy Manning’s jewelry design business is Green Certified by the state
of California and continues to look for ways to improve its eco-friendly jewelry-making processes. “As a designer, I have to make a lot of hard choices. What stones can I use, what stones can’t I use- how do I do what I do while remaining committed to my beliefs? Honestly, though, I think these challenges push me to create better jewelry. Jewelry that I’m proud to make”. For Manning, ethical business practices also include philanthropic endeavors. Last year alone, Melissa Joy Manning donated more than 3% of its net profits to charity. Manning believes that there is a way for the community her brand has created to positively impact the larger community in which everyone lives. “I believe it’s only together that we can create change- it’s not about one person being perfect, but a lot of people being imperfect together.”
14K Yellow Gold Hoop Five Stone Drop Dangle Earrings by Melissa Joy Manning
14K Yellow Gold Herkimer Diamond Stud Earrings by Melissa Joy Manning
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