Bella Joli
Unique Jewelry and Gifts

Read our most recent newsletters. If you have questions, comments, or requests, we invite you to contact us by email or phone!

Newsletter for December 2007
Newsletter for January 2008
Newsletter for March 2008

• Lonna Keller
• Peter James
• Crislu

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Elegance, versatility and wearability are concepts that are the focus of my jewelry. Simple lines, well-integrated components and neutral colors are combined to enhance a wide range of styles without attempting to dominate. Varying degrees of texture add substance without additional weight. The use of precious and semi-precious materials in fluent, uncomplicated forms allow these pieces to travel to the board room as well as a night on the town.

Sterling silver and freshwater pearl earrings

My work is a celebration of the female form and sensuality, with pieces that enhance a variety of body types. Many pieces are meditative, a repetition of materials that does not furnish a focal point but invite touching and imply a second skin. These one of a kind pieces are meant to confront the boundaries in both the common perceptions of sculpture as it relates to actual body adornment and the materials used to create them. I incorporate materials such as, swivel hooks, garbage bags, zip ties and rubber cord into pieces that enhance the female form in ways that are carefree and playful. All relate to women's formalwear. Instead of drawing the viewer to a specific part of a woman's body, as would a bracelet or necklace, the form of the individual woman is central to the sculpture. The pieces range in complexity from elaborate accent pieces and partial ensemble to the complete evening gown.

-Supplied by Lonna Keller's website

ARTIST PROFILE:

I search to capture the chaos of life through the process of handcrafting, after over 40 years experience in jewelry design each piece is just as unique as each of the hundreds of blows from the hammer forming it. As a young girl I experimented with different jewelry techniques, my formal training in metal work occurred later in studio classes; however it was mostly through my own exploration that I learned how different metals reveal themselves and take shape. This unique education has allowed me to pursue my career with a vision guided by my experience and intuition, leading to designs that let the metals manifest their own destiny as flowing natural forms.

In 1974 I met John who owned Peter James; together we bought a jewelry supply company called Makens, began a family, and I moved my studio to design full time for Peter James. Located in the Industrial Center Building in Sausalito for the last 35 years, we have seen an evolution in styles as well as prices (gold was $32 an ounce when I first began). One element has remained constant; dedication to family owned and operated business that is deeply rooted in the tradition of American craftsmanship. My experience as a production designer has cultivated a new approach to my jewelry creation, expanding my collection of one of a kind and commissioned pieces. Drawing from nature as well as life experience, I find inspiration in everything from my mother's shorthand notebooks, to the pages on which my children first learned cursive, to a scar on my wrist received when climbing a barbed wire fence with my grandfather. The resulting works have been described as innovative and uncommon wearable works of art.

-Written by the lead designer of Peter James, Lyn (posted on PJ website)

View of the Golden Gate Bridge from Sausalito, CA.

HISTORY AND MISSION STATEMENT:

Founded in 1961, CRISLU is a 2nd generation jewelry manufacturer renowned for bringing to market "personal ornaments" that are high-style, high-quality and high-value. In particular, the company is a world-class supplier of the finest cubic zirconia jewelry. Today, CRISLU has a worldwide network of showrooms and distributors in over 50 countries. You will find CRISLU in all of the world's fashion and trend capitols including Paris, New York, London, Tokyo, Milan, Madrid, Brussels, Stockholm, Berlin, Zurich, Monte Carlo and Buenos Aries, not to mention its hometown, Los Angeles.

Each CRISLU cubic zirconia is hand lapped and polished to perfection by a professional jeweler and then is hand set into platinum finished sterling silver by a master diamond setter. CRISLU Cubic Zirconia Stones are fully faceted and cut to the exact specifications required for fine diamonds. Every stone has the same color, clarity and cut that give it the fire and brilliance of the highest quality diamonds in the world. Even jewelers have difficulty distinguishing CRISLU cubic zirconias from real diamonds.

Hand lapped pink cubic zirconia.

Recently, CRISLU jewelry created a buzz in the world of fashion, as Hollywood stars such as Paris and Nikki Hilton, Demi Moore, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Basinger, have been seen wearing CRISLU brand jewelry. In Touch magazine has called CRISLU, "a smart substitute for pricey precious stones." CRISLU jewelry has also been featured in Vogue, In-Style, US Weekly, Life & Style and Lucky.

CRISLU is dedicated to building a major, upscale bridge jewelry brand and to offering the consumer unparalleled quality, styling and value.

-Description provided by Crislu website

Plaza Centre One
Iowa City, IA 52240
319-341-4562
Downtown, across from the Sheraton
bellajoli@earthlink.net