CYNTHIA ROSE REIMAGINES VINTAGE JEWELS

By Pamela Smythe-Woods

Layered vintage charm necklaces and stunning stones newly modernized with fresh decorative precious and semi-precious accents are the signatures of New York City jewelry designer Cynthia Rose. She skillfully curates beautiful, fascinating pieces for each client who sees them as a remarkable expression of their individuality.

Cynthia Rose, the New York City designer of vintage artisan jewelry models her signature charm necklaces in her Instagram and crafts them essentially in her image. Chic and sophisticated women love to wear her designs— and, most importantly, layer them—because one is not enough to paraphrase Jaqueline Suzann. “It’s all about balance, size, and texture.”

A Perfect Fit

Cynthia explains combining old and new in a sexy, playful rhythm that makes for wonderfully enjoyable jewelry, just as perfect a fit with an evening gown or a pair of jeans. “I wear my jewelry every day whether I go out or not. It is just part of who I am. My clients feel the same way. As we go out more, I have no doubt you’ll see more of my jewelry on women around town.”

Cynthia began her fashion journey at FIT and then, as she explains, collaborated “with a select group of immensely talented small independent designers who taught me what it took to evolve in the fashion community. All were smart, savvy women who never let anything get in their way.”

However, she adds it was when she reached 40, after getting and having a family, that she gave in to the longing to do something independently. She finally took the plunge and started her fashion business, putting into play the lessons learned from her savvy colleagues.

A Natural Progression

After twenty years of creating luxe fashion collections for elegant New York women, Cynthia made a critical decision; she decided to downsize and focus exclusively on creating unique jewelry pieces integrating vintage charms and stones. “For me, it was a natural progression. I have always had a deep fascination with jewelry. After all, I have collected pieces that have captured my heart and imagination for 30 years. As a result, I truly love each piece I create. I look at a group of charms or maybe a lovely earring, and I reimagine them. I modernize pieces that may date from centuries ago—even decades—with precious or semi-precious stones to create bespoke pieces that are beautiful, collectible, and timeless.”

Although Cynthia sees allure in many eras, Victorian is her favorite. No matter what period, her approach is one she calls “eclectic,” adding new stones or replacing existing ones, allowing a piece of her sustainable jewelry, she says, “to be simultaneous of the moment and a celebration of the past.”

Collecting jewelry, a passion for three decades, is part of Cynthia’s everyday ritual. Each piece is the object of her devotion, whom she wants to see “adopted into a good, kind, and truly deserving home where the jewelry will be loved and cherished as much as if the pieces were still in my care.”

Glamorous Treasures

As Iris Apfel says, from her vantage point of 100+ years old, “More is more and less is a bore.” That Cynthia says is her philosophy. It is the essential key to her influence. Her clients have followed her guidance and style inspiration from fashion to jewelry for decades: Beautiful pieces that are whimsical and glamorous, treasures that tease the eye leading it up, down, and around in a never-ending circle of visual delight.

For more information on Cynthia Rose, visit www.cynthiarose.com