Profiles in Design

Paula Crevoshay – Fantastic Fusion

“The design of the jewel speaks to intellect and talent; the color to temperament
and heart.” – Adapted from a quote by Thomas Carlyle.

>> By Diana S. Zimmerman, Special Features Correspondent

From classically trained artist and sculptor, to Bollywood actress, philanthropist, and award-winning jewelry designer extraordinaire, Paula Crevoshay’s life and passions are both deep and expansive. Oprah Winfrey, Mary J. Blige, Carly Simon, and Paula Zahn count among her many fans while women around the world collect her magnificent one-of-a-kind jewels. Her work is also displayed at the Smithsonian, Carnegie Museum, and the G.I.A. Museum.

For Crevoshay, it’s all about combining color with design to create a fantastic fusion of art, energy, and inspiration. Her use of color and intricate craftsmanship have been compared to Lalique and Fabergé; but her readily identifiable style is all her own. “There’s a spicing of influence in my work,” she explains. “I combine and synthesize cultures and time periods, and mix science with art to create a new statement.”

Having grown up in Louisiana, Crevoshay spent her college years in Wisconsin and Virginia, followed by a three-year stay in India, where she studied with the Dalai Lama. She learned gold and silver work with local artisans in India and Nepal, and then the gem trade and ancient metalworking techniques in Sri Lanka and Thailand. Now living in New Mexico, it’s easy to see why her designs have such varied and exotic flavors. “Moving to New Mexico radically changed my palate, my sense of light, and my scale,” she continues. “This geography opens you so widely.”

Certainly, these influences are ever-present; but it is Crevoshay’s highly sophisticated use of color and unique gemstones that catapulted her to fame. Often employing laborious techniques, her palette of exotic stones is virtually endless. “I am fond of saying that I want to set as many gemstones as are known to exist,” she insists. “There’s not one I don’t love.” Except for a collection called “Splash!” each design is unique and handcrafted at one of her workshops in the U.S. or Thailand. Splash! is a very special line in which a percentage of the profits go directly to the Thai relief fund for tsunami victims.

“I have to do originals,” she asserts. “They are an extension of my spirit. Each jewel is imbued with a love of life and a respect for nature’s omnipotent power. There is a talismanic property inherent in every one.” For Crevoshay and those who collect her art there is also a magical fusion of color and magnificence. (www.crevoshay.com)