Sometimes you have to break a few rocks….
Carmen Bokenfohr, the owner/designer of Concept Jewelry, started her award winning career in a gravel pit. As a small town Alberta kid, she would spend hours breaking open rocks to see what was inside. She considered becoming a gemologist, but didn’t want to sacrifice her social and artistic sides. Instead, she went to work in a jewellery store, and soon had a partnership with a store in downtown Calgary. Her “AHA! Moment” was was during an annual buying trip to the Basel, Switzerland Jewelry and Watch Show. Most of the jewellery at the show (and sold in stores worldwide) is made by a handful of manufacturers using a few standard designs. Rather than re-selling mass produced jewellery, Bokenfohr realized she wanted to design unique, finely crafted pieces for her customers.
Concept Jewelry was opened in St. Albert in 2006. All the inventory is either designed by Bokenfohr, or from a hand-selected group of boutique designers. Most pieces are one of a kind; many of her designers have loyal followers so pieces can sell out very quickly. Customers need not worry about missing out – Bokenfohr knows her customers’ collections and lets them know when something that is a fit for them comes in. Custom jewellery is available as well, Bokenfohr will work with you to design a unique piece using metals and stones of your choice.
Rather than re-selling mass produced jewellery, Bokenfohr realized she wanted to design unique, finely crafted pieces for her customers.
Though classic styles are well represented, Bokenfohr’s latest collection is called “Modern Vintage” – Concept Jewelry has current trends covered as well. Rose gold remains popular, as well as mixing metals (try layering necklaces and rings to get the look). Though mixing gold and silver used to be a fashion faux pas, it can be pulled off by choosing pieces that complement rather than match. Bokenfohr is a believer in letting the stone’s natural inclusions give character to the design, which is counter intuitive to traditional jewellery. She won an ‘Excellence in Design’ award from Canadian Jeweler magazine with her design for a square (a shape rarely used in jewellery for women) ring to showcase a 1.28 carat Arctic Empress Diamond.
Bokenfohr believes your jewellery should express your personal style and originality, even if it means you have to break a few rocks (or rules).
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