May 10
4
Nadine, reinventing herself at 60
At nearly 60, I decided to leave the world of non-profit management in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved with my husband to Austin, Texas. I hadn’t a clue what I would do in Austin but knew I needed to make a change. I looked into or tried out a couple of things but nothing seemed to grab me. Then one day a friend and I attended a jewelry show in Austin where she observed my life-long passion for color and design. Shortly after that she took a chance and commissioned me to make a necklace to go with her new outfit. That was all it took to launch me into a business where I get to create jewelry out of everything from buttons to rubies!
With no background in art of any kind, who would have thought I’d be designing jewelry in my semi-retirement years? I’ve asked myself that question and found that it’s simply because I am just so very happy when I work/play with beautiful stones and rocks. I love to discover the myriad of ways I can create designs and use exciting color combinations. Granted, for me some of my pieces have been engineering feats – but I love the challenge! And, even though the arthritis in my hands is getting pretty bad, when it comes to working on jewelry, I truly don’t even notice it! Last, but not least by any means, is the joy my clients get out of my creations. This is tremendously, tremendously fulfilling.
I had one previous experience in making jewelry. At 8 years old I made a ceramic daisy for my Mom. It was a school project. Everyone made a daisy but I wonder how many have lasted over 50 years? My mom doesn’t usually hang on to things but for some reason she hung on to this. I proudly remember that Mom wore it all the time. I retrieved it from her condo and couldn’t wait to find a way to make it both wearable and safe, so I didn’t lose it or break it. The wire wrap did the trick.
Oftentimes we save pieces from the past because of feelings for the giver and precious memories. We don’t wear them because they no longer suit us or perhaps they never did. I can bring your treasures back into your life with a beautiful new life of their own so that you have a lovely new heirloom – thus the Only One! Every piece is designed with the your sense of style and color preferences in mind, after all there’s Only One you!
Only One Treasured Pieces Redesigned
Creates new heirloom jewelry by
redesigning and giving new life & sparkle
to treasured jewelry from your past,
such as beads, pendants, lockets & charms ,
or even a lone earring or a single piece of turquoise.
See more of Nadine’s story in an Austin Woman Magazine article, and her beautiful jewelry at Only One Jewelry
Amethyst necklace and green tourmaline photos courtesy of James Bland Photography.
