Rock Your Body with Rose Gilley Designs and Keep America on Top! Here is Your East Coast Exposure, Shannon!
You know we love the classics and we love items that are just a little bit different-interesting, yet still mainstream. Rose Gilley Designs are just that, and even better, they boast a personal touch by Shannon Culmo and we absolutely love that they are made in the USA!
Her creative eye impresses us and in particular we recommend the above wire wrapped bangles, 14kt gold filled and wire wrapped with blue and green sapphires. The silver bracelet is fine silver fired, hammered, and wire-wrapped with 14kt gold filled wire and tourmaline stones. They are an ideal companion for many spring looks we will be sporting soon in the upcoming season and are versatile enough to be dressed up or down. Jewelry designer and metalsmith Shannon Culmo scours the country searching for old worldy coins, antique keys, locks, brilliant gemstones and unique scrap metals to create her romantic jewelry line, Rose Gilley Designs. Shannon’s pieces have a distinctively textured yet whimsical look and feel, with semi-precious and precious stones and pearls wrapped in copper, sterling silver, fine silver and 14kt gold filled. She personally crafts each piece by hand from her studio in her hometown Sacramento, California. No two pieces are identical; only the original design is sold.
We also admire the fine work that goes into the sterling silver necklace and 14kt gold filled metals; the texture on each of the circles is pleasing to the eye and appropriately captures light.
“You can take a flat piece of metal and you can turn it into anything you want—a rose or a hummingbird or a cuff,” she says. “How much fun is that?”
Jewelry is very personal to Shannon, as she views every piece not just as an accessory, but as an extension of a person’s personality. “My jewelry is like your favorite friend or relative; it’s comforting.” Every aspect of Rose Gilley Designs is meaningful to Shannon. That’s why she partners with the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center of Yolo County. Fifty percent of sales from one of her pieces, a specially created “A Rose is a Rose” sterling silver pendant, are dedicated to the center.
Rose (a family name and Shannon’s middle name) Gilley (Shannon’s maiden name) Designs are sold in 15 boutiques and hotels around the country and featured on fashion blogs and in local press.
Previous to the release of this post, Shannon provided Peachy with this Q and A...
What’s the meaning behind Rose Gilley Designs?
Rose was my great grandmother’s name, my grandmother’s name and it’s my middle name, so it’s been a really special name in my family for generations. My company started as KKPW Designs (Knick Knack Patty Whack), but after losing my dad in 2010, I changed the company to include our family name Gilley, my maiden name. My jewelry now carries even more meaning and pride and reminds me of my dad, my biggest supporter, every day. The concept behind my line has always been that I want the wearer to feel as though my pieces are their “go to” piece of jewelry, much like their favorite family member or friend.
What’s your best seller?
My bangle bracelets are the most popular. One time, a woman even bought my bracelet right off my wrist! My stackable rings are popular too. People like that they can wear the individual pieces alone for a simpler look, or layer them for more of a statement. My rings and bangles have different colored gemstones, so people can mix and match to whatever they’re in the mood for that day.
Where does your inspiration come from?
My friends, family, the people that I meet, the places I go, the clothes I buy—it all inspires me. Often I find myself matching jewelry to someone’s personality or to an emotion. I like to think of my pieces as a friend, or even an extension of someone’s personality. They are comforting to wear. They reflect who you are and they make you feel special.
Where did you pick up your skills?
I am mostly self-taught. I took a metalsmith class years ago in San Francisco and I fell in love with it! I’m always experimenting with new techniques, tools and metals. When I’m working in my studio with my torch, I couldn’t be happier. I craft everything by hand, so no two pieces will ever be exactly the same. That’s part of what makes Rose Gilley Designs so special—since I work on every single piece, each one has so much meaning to me. My clients appreciate that.
What’s next for Rose Gilley Designs?
Right now I’m working on my line of baby bracelets with Trumpette. I’m also focusing on getting my jewelry more East Coast exposure. Currently, I’m in 15 stores nationwide, but mostly on the West Coast. By this time next year, I’d like to double that.
