Q & A with Jewelry Designer of Barrett Ford

Barrett Ford is the name of a gorgeous fine jewelry line designed by Kelly Ford Owen, who has quite the creative and artistic family legacy. She truly is an artist in every sense, working hours and hours (usually at night while her son is asleep) on each individual piece–all by hand. Choosing rare and unique gemstones is what sets her collections a part, as well as their sculptural nature.  I quickly became a fan when looking through her collections on her website–also become a fan on Facebook and/or follow on Twitter. It was fun getting to know her a little more by a quick Q & A:  Enjoy!

I’m currently working on my next collection which I plan to launch this fall.  My new collections always have their foundations in the previous one, because I learn so much as I’m working on each piece.  I try to incorporate what’s happening in a larger fashion sense with color in the gemstones I choose but try to find stones that are a little out of the ordinary such as diamonds that are uncut, or unusual colors, green amethysts, and purple/grey spinel.  The upcoming collection will include a checker-cut, russet diamond ring and 18kt gold drape earrings with green amethyst and green and grey diamonds.

My most popular earrings from the current collection are the Ferrara Earrings.  Taken as simple hoops, they’re wearable and easy to dress up or down.  With the addition of the handwrapped gemstones, there’s an elegance to them that I love.  But I purposely kept them a bit “untidy” so they wouldn’t become too precious.

I would say I’m very proud that after questioning it many times, I still make each piece by hand. My father is an artist and I grew up watching him work.  I’ve found that I love doing the exact same thing- sitting at my desk trying to work through a design, and discovering what doesn’t work and what does; it’s my favorite part.

My hopes and dreams for the company are sometimes very small- trying to stay awake very late at night to work while hoping my 6 year old boy stays asleep so I can finish a piece of jewelry! But I do hope that I will be able to keep searching for beautiful gemstones, looking for inspiration, and putting my heart into things that women love to wear.   

I think my favorite piece of jewelry is a cuff bracelet that was my grandmother’s, who I adored and who had such great style.  The intricacy of the inlay is stunning, and while it’s an early 20th century piece of jewelry, it somehow feels modern to me.  When I’m not wearing it I keep it at my workspace as a reminder of what I’m trying to accomplish- pieces that recall an artistic heritage but that have a modern sensibility and edge to them.