Mason-Kay’s award-winning designer, Kristina Mason, sat down with Jordan to chat about her career as a jade jewelry designer. Kristina has won multiple JCK Jewelers Choice Awards and has designed thousands of one-of-a-kind pieces of fine jewelry over the years. This interview will give the reader insight into the jade jewelry design process and what it’s like to be a jade-focused jewelry designer.
Jordan: Hi Kristina, thank you for taking the time to chat with me! Can you give our readers an introduction to who you are and how jade jewelry design became your career?
Kris: Thank you so much, Jordan, for inviting me, it is quite an honor. From the age of 2, when I took apart most of my mother’s jewelry, I have had quite the love affair with jewelry and gemstones! I started wearing jewelry daily at the age of 10 and have been collecting it ever since.
I had been with Mason-Kay Jade for some time, but my opportunity to design for the company came in 2007, when Don Kay retired. Don was our lead designer and president of Mason-Kay since its inception. His retirement left a gaping designer hole. I am proud to say that I believe I filled that gap and added new dimensions, characteristics and a new fresh eye to our jewelry collections.
My mother had studied and had been trained in the fine arts in Europe before emigrating and here in the U.S. as well. She worked in many mediums, but painting was her specialty. Even though I also assisted her in preparing exquisite needlepoint works as samples for her 3 needlepoint books, it was the painting of these needlepoint and other canvases that helped develop my artist’s hand and control, while watching her design and paint deepened and strengthened my knowledge of color, style and design. My life and work for my mother turned out to be my art education.
My mother passed away 10 years ago, but I feel her presence often, especially when designing new jewelry and love that I can incorporate what I learned from her into every design.
Jordan: Other designers and goldsmiths are starting to integrate jade more into their custom jewelry designs. What is it about jade that makes it such a great stone for designers?
Kris: First, this is a stone with a long history and rich lore. Millions believe and have believed that Jade is a living stone, sent from the heavens. For me it is an absolute privilege to work with this amazing and mysterious gemstone. As designers learn more about jadeite jade and the mystery and apprehension regarding this gemstone dissipates with knowledge, designers find that it is an incredibly tough gemstone, making it perfect for daily wear, and the amazing array of natural colors, shapes, sizes and price ranges cannot be beat by any other fine gem! And then there is the translucence. That is what gives natural, untreated jadeite jade that ‘life’, that incredible GLOW!
Jordan: What is your process like as a jewelry designer?
Kris: So, for a designer like me that must design an entire line of jewelry, there are decisions and there are designs. Much of what I do is decision making. For example, let’s say we purchased a grouping of 10 green jadeite jade discs. I must now determine if they need bails. What type of bail – white gold, yellow gold, or silk? Fixed or movable? Satin or high polish? Any extra accent beads? You get the idea, is that designing? Kind of, in terms of what is needed for our line, so it’s designing that is more about strategy and inventory than creativity.
Then there are the pieces that as soon as I see them, I can see their design. Sometimes I wake up with a design in my head and they just come to me! Often when buying I can already see how these new pieces should look. And then there are designs that take me time and I must sweat over before making my final decisions.
Jordan: What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome as a jewelry designer?
Kris: I would say learning about what is really possible to make in jewelry and how it is made. There was much for me to learn about how a piece of jewelry is actually created. Being a jade designer, it is most challenging not to overdo the design, so it does not detract from the beauty of the gemstone. Most jadeite jade is so beautiful, it doesn’t need too much!
Jordan: What is your advice to someone who is new to the industry, or maybe just new to jade, and wants to use jade in their custom jewelry designs?
Kris: I would encourage them to learn about the gemstone and start on the less expensive side and play. We have lots of inexpensive but still beautiful loose stones and carvings to use to develop the eye and love for jade.
Jordan: Let’s talk about this pendant. (above) What was the inspiration behind this design?
Kris: So this is a special piece to me. The ice jadeite jade pear shaped cabochons are so pure they looked like rain drops to me and that is what inspired this pendant.
I designed it to look like falling jade raindrops in a medallion. This raindrop pendant is set in 14K satin white gold with marquise shaped diamonds and ice, green, red, and yellow fine jadeite jade pear shaped cabochons. I used the satin white gold as the medallion frame, while the raindrop trails are high polish. I also had all the gemstone bezel set as I believe that helps the glow of a well-cut cabochon.
Jordan: What about this ring? (above)
Kris: This is one of my favorite designs. It has everything. Set in 18K white gold, a vivid and translucent apple green jadeite jade cabochon is the center stone that packs a beautiful punch! It is surrounded by incredible ice jadeite jade round cabochons and round diamonds. This is a perfect design fit for royalty!
Jordan: In your own words, what do you think sets you apart from other jewelry designers?
Kris: I might be one of the only jewelry designers in the US that specializes in jade jewelry design. Over my 32 years at Mason-Kay, I have developed a serious and discerning eye for jadeite jade and that is truly a unique qualification.
Jordan: Do you think jade jewelry designers will continue to use jade in their designs, and if so, what does that mean for the jade and jewelry industries, and their customers?
Kris: Since I started at Mason-Kay in 1993, I have seen a love and appreciation for this gemstone grow exponentially. Natural jadeite jade jewelry is potato chips of gemstones– You can’t just have one. This applies to designers as well. Once they see, feel and work with natural jadeite jade, you just can’t stop. Designers that purchase loose goods from us are doing well with their jade designs and coming back for more and so are their customers.
I expect natural jadeite jade to see quite an explosion in popularity in the next few years.
