Our Brands

Jeanine Payer

Jeanine Payer was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1967 to a theatrical Mom and traveling salesman Dad. She grew up in sunny southern California later moving to San Francisco where she attended a small alternative high school.

In 1988 she began attending Academy of Art College discovering her passion for sculpture. She has a creative breakthrough there working with mixed media collages to tell a story (a la Joseph Cornell’s boxes). That same year a boutique owner saw earrings she had mad using tiny antique photos and commissioned more leading to a cottage industry run out of her bedroom.

Housebound after the earthquake in 1989, Jeanine begins experiments with new tools, engraving a poem by Rilke onto a tiny book that featured an antique baby photo hand painted with gold wings as a baby gift for a close friend. Her signature style is born.

1990 brings many opportunities including an invitation to set up a shop in a transparent jewelry studio onsite at the retail design lab/concept store Aerial. The respected jewelry maven, Aurora Lopez, then introduced her collection into Barney’s New York, Fred Segal, and other cutting edge retailers known for launching the careers of up and coming young designers.

Through a series of leaps of faith, Jeanine Payer’s business grows exponentially over the next few years. She is thrilled to see Jessica Lange win the “Best Actress” Oscar in 1994 wearing her lucky Jeanine Payer earrings that her daughter gave her. Lange sent her a note saying she doesn’t buy much jewelry, but collects Jeanine Payer’s pieces like art. Now, Jeanine Payer can count many celebrities as fans of her work including such talents as Drew Barrymore, Halle Berry, Keanu Reeves, Ellen Degeneres, Mick Jagger and Alanis Morrisette. Today she has her own onsite retail space designed by Paul Tsang , and continues her intense focus on the design of her work.

This is her philosophy:

• We believe jewelry is more than skin deep.
• We believe in old world craftsmanship meets 21st century design.
• We believe God is in the details and good things come in small packages.
• We believe in naming things you make by hand after people you love.
• We believe poetry is an aphrodisiac, a meditation, and a lullaby.
• We believe mantras are not just for yogis and mottos are not just for boy scouts.
• We believe in celebrating achievements, marking milestones, and immortalizing moments.
• We believe working in a building with a history inspires work that has a soul.
• We believe in idiosyncrasies, imperfections, and antiques.
• We believe Holly Golightly had the right idea when she had that Crackerjack ring engraved at Tiffany's.
  We believe everyone needs a muse, a lucky charm, and a creative outlet.
• We believe it's never too late to start a tradition or create an heirloom
• We believe in the wisdom of Lao Tzu, YEO, Patrushka and Mom.
• We believe roller-skating and karaoke are the keys to everlasting happiness.
• We believe in good word of mouth.
• We believe beauty has power to inspire, bring joy, provide comfort and elevate quality of life.
• We believe in supporting the efforts of burgeoning artists and budding entrepreneurs.
• We believe girlish pleasures-like dollhouses, lockets, and Beatrix Potter-never go out of style.
• We believe every piece of JP jewelry has two stories-the one that brought it into being (ours) and the one that brings it to life (yours).
  

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