Talent Show: Holly Dyment

Published

10 years ago

March 17, 2014

Trace Shelton

Talent Show: Holly Dyment

The one-time interior designer brings fun back to jewelry in largerthan-life fashion.

BY TRACE SHELTON

Published in the March/April 2014 issue

NEW YORK, NY | P: (212) 463-7950 | W: HOLLYDYMENT.COM

Rarely has a designer exploded convention as Holly Dyment has done. Launching her collection just four short years ago, Dyment has already become known as one of the most avant-garde artists in the industry by casting brash, colorful motifs into enamel, gemstones and 18K gold.

Dyment spent much of her life as a graphic designer, painter and interior designer, but decided it was time for a mid-life change. “I love jewelry and India, so I added them together,” she says. “I couldn’t find what I would wear, so I created it for myself.” Vivid color is Dyment’s forte, and she loves to borrow motifs from the past. “My pieces are more like paintings: Art that you wear. But not in a crafty way.”

In 2014, Dyment is launching her Portrait collection, which personalizes rings and lockets with clients’ hair, eye and skin colors, as well as their gemstone preferences. She will also have a new line of mini-rings in octagonal and oval shapes.

In each issue, INDESIGN will feature one of five Talent Show winners for 2014. These designers were nominated and then voted on by a panel of retail store owners known for their expertise and proven track record of carrying avant-garde designers.

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What the Judges Say:

JIROUTOVA“This is fun! I like the unexpected humor that results from a combination of dark imagery with pretty gemstones and colors. Not for the shy or conventional client. As she says, Holly Dyment walks the line between precious and precocious, and she walks it glamorously.”

Zdena Jiroutova, Z Folio Gallery, Solvang and Monterey, CA

SHUM“This line is feminine and fun. Holly dabbles with the spiritual side in a playful way. The bold lines and rich colors really pop and lead to girlfriends asking with curiosity, ‘Who you are wearing?’ These pieces become that ‘power’ statement every woman needs.”

Nicole Gorman Shum, I. Gorman Jewelers, Washington, DC

MORROWDyment makes me laugh. Her work is outrageous, funny and not for the faint-hearted. It’s offbeat and different. Her world is one of ‘Haute Baubles’ where anything goes. It is not for everyone, but I couldn’t resist getting on for the ‘gaudy’ gemstone ride!”

Marie-Helene Morrow, Reinhold Jewelers, San Juan, Ponce and Carolina, Puerto Rico

HILKENE“Her jewelry is for the fun at heart, tongue-in-cheek sort of person who has a sense of humor about life, but still lives it in a grand style. Holly is one of the few who work with enamel, a long lost art, which opens up an added dimension of color to complement the gemstone. Her work reminds me of Pablo Picasso, who could easily paint traditional portraits but expressed himself in a non-traditional way.”

Sally Hilkene, Churchill, Fairway, KS

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”