Judith Bright Grand Store Opening Party: November 11, 2010

Green Hills Malls’ newest retailer, Judith Bright, may have opened their doors November 6, 2010, but the jewelry designer is having her grand store opening party tonight from 5:00 – 8:00 pm. Guests were supposed to RSVP by November 8, 2010, but this is an event not to be missed.

14K GF Hand-Hammered Double Link Earrings

Price: $58.00

Guest will enjoy delicious bellini cocktails, great giveaways, and store coupons. Yes, yes, and yes! And if you haven’t had a chance to visit this retailer, I suggest you put on your LBD and find some beautiful hand-crafted jewelry to match before your dinner reservations at the Mad Platter. Seriously, this jewelry is amazing.

14K GF Petite Rocks Nest Post Earrings

Price: $108.00

I recently had a chance to stop in and check the store out and chat with the ladies of JB. What I love about this store is the simple décor and classy atmosphere. Here, the jewelry is the highlight. All pieces are simple, quality, and classic. They’re a perfect match for almost any outfit. Prices seemed to range from around $25 to $500, depending on the piece.

Judith Bright Flagship Store

photo by Kendall Mitchell

A clear top table is set-up on the side of the store where the ladies of JB carefully construct the pieces. It’s a rare opportunity in retailing to actually see where your clothing or accessories are coming from, so soak this one in! And have you met the staff? Gah! So nice! I chatted with a few of the ladies earlier this week and they were helpful showing me around the store, detailing the merchandise, and praising my lovely intern I have working there. Annnnnnd, not only are these ladies sweet as pie, they have business-savy smarts, and modelesque looks. Seriously. See those posters in the above picture of the most angelic girl you've ever seen in your life? Yup, she's part of the JB team!

Judith Bright Flagship Store

photo by Kendall Mitchell

Sponsors of tonight’s event include nFocus, her, and Style Blueprint. Appetizers will be provided by F. Scott’s and Table 3, while participants in the fun include Godiva, Chanel, Nico and LaLa, Juicy Couture, Bare Escentuals, Kiehl’s, Closetcase Vintage, The Wine Chap, Lotus, Sephora, Aveda, Theraphy Systems, Wolford, Trace, bloom, and Fuzzwwigs.

See you there!

RockStar Square Wire Wrapped Cuff in 14K GF

Price: $388.00

Here is information about Judith Bright as written on the company website:

For Judith Bright, designing jewelry is the realization of a long-deferred dream.  After 12 years spent manning Quincy Jones’ music publishing company in the Hollywood Hills -- a career she found tough to walk away from given her admiration for her legendary boss, who she still calls “one of the best people on earth” -- she decided to focus exclusively on family when her third child was born.

In her spare time, the Washington, D.C. native took jewelry-making classes at Barnsdall Art Center in Los Angeles.  The enthusiastic response to her designs motivated her to form a home-based business.  She began by creating custom jewelry out of silver and beading with semi-precious beads, selling these first pieces to friends and neighbors.

Her passion for jewelry goes back to her earliest childhood memories of playing for hours in her mother´s jewelry box: "I would pull out each piece and lay them out all over her bed. I´d try everything on and try different combinations. She was very patient with me." She adds, "I´ve always been fascinated by how people adorn themselves. Jewelry is a nonvocal communication of one's individuality. It´s such a unique and expressive art form. As an observer all these years, I can tell a lot about a person by the jewelry they wear."

Judith realized that making jewelry was more than a part-time preoccupation when her children became school-age. She immersed herself in the creations of Italian jewelry designers and single-mindedly committed to studying under them. She and her family -- her sons plus husband Will -- moved to Florence, Italy, where they lived for one year while Judith worked privately with teachers from the prestigious Le Arti Orafe School of Jewelry. She learned silversmithing techniques as well as wax carving. She describes her time there as "one of the best periods in my life. I felt more comfortable in my own skin than ever before. It was like the glass slipper finally fit! I think it came with finally embracing a lifelong dream and being in the right place in my life to make it happen. Sometimes you have to wait quite a while, but in my case it was definitely worth it!"

After returning from Italy, she and her family relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, to be near family. Her youngest child is now in school full time. Says Judith, "I have thought a lot about what I´ve wanted to do in what I consider ´phase two´ of my life, and that time is now.

"Having an online store is a dream come true, and I am excited about reaching new customers. I am currently focusing on three lines. SILVER+ROCKS and GOLD+ROCKS are fashioned from sterling silver and gold-filled chains and elements that link semi-precious stones in various combinations. I´ve also added a silver and gold- only line entitled ROCKLESS featuring polished and hand-hammered pieces. I use the finest materials available and hand-pick each stone used in my designs. My passion is creating quality jewelry for women, that they can wear every day and having it be affordable enough for them to add new pieces frequently. Additionally, all of our jewelry is adjustable so that women of all sizes can wear it. We welcome custom measurements and will work to get the right fit!"