Loren N. Teetelli, founder of Loren Nicole, is one of the most impressive jewelry makers in the business. The Southern California-based fine jewelry designer handcrafts every piece of jewelry she sells, using ancient methods and ethically sourced gold and gemstones. And the bright 22- ct. yellow gold pieces she makes, which are always informed by historical forms and motifs, can be jaw-droppingly intricate.
Her unique background set her up for success as a designer bent on creating styles that look and feel like ancient and precious relics. Teetelli began her career as an archaeologist, and studied Pre-Columbian cultures before working as an archaeological lab technician and later a conservator in the Anthropology department of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. She later served as a conservator of ancient and ethnographic textiles for the Art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas Collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Loren Nicole is a top-tier brand that occupies its own case in Bergdorf Goodman's venerable jewelry department, but like so many A-list designers, its founder also works one-on-one with clients to design and craft heirloom-quality jewels.
Recently, a client celebrating her 25th wedding anniversary asked Teetelli to reset her heirloom engagement ring diamond into a piece that better reflected her personal style. The designer already knew that her client loved her weighty high-karat gold pieces, and likes to stack lots of rings, "so we focused on a design that could stand alone and stack well with other pieces in her collection," she tells Gem + Jewel.
"My goal is to create a design the client will love, that also play into my strengths and my interests in utilizing ancient techniques and 22-karat gold. Most clients understand my aesthetic but if they are looking for something outside my design style, I will turn them down. If it's my first time working with a client and they're requesting a custom project, I always confirm they love my style first and that they are looking for a final piece that fits within my aesthetic."
In the case of the below project, Teetelli had no trouble pinning down a new style with the client. "My style is so specific that I don’t often have trouble settling on the final design, " she says. "I ask for some references and important points so I know where to start, and we usually get the design 90 percent there on the first draft."
Front left: Loren Nicole's "after" ring—a new and bold 22k gold design—and the classic-feeling white gold "before" engagement ring the client provided the designer
Most of the custom pieces Teetelli's worked on "involve removing stones from a previous setting...the original settings are typically a white metal and often a daintier frame."
She adds, "It's always satisfying to see the completed project and to present it to the owner. The stones feel weightier and more important in my heavier settings. You might think the larger bands or voluminous shapes would challenge the stone, but it has a way of enhancing and defining it more." We agree wholeheartedly!
See Loren Nicole's collection and information here.
