Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Nottonson.
Karen, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I came to Boston in 1973, to attend M.I.T.-yes, I am a real geek. However, I’ve loved gems and jewelry ever since I was little- my first job (age 13) was in an antique jewelry store. I ran an antiques business called “The Silver Spoon” to earn extra money during graduate school, doing the finer local Boston antiques shows.
So, when the time came for a career change I decided to pursue my dream. It was the early 1980’s, the heyday of the “yuppie”. (Young Urban Professionals, for the record.) The economy was booming.
Being an innovator, my big idea was to open up downtown in the Financial District so I would be convenient to all those attorneys and stockbrokers. Many of the major stores had already fled the city for the suburbs, leaving me in a good position. After earning my G.I.A. Graduate Gemologist diploma; I started out in an office suite on State Street. The landlord wasn’t too sure about having a jeweler in an office building but felt it was OK if I sounded like a law firm- hence the store’s name; Harper & Faye. Yes, I made the name up- and I’ve always wanted to buy two old portraits and name them “Mr. Harper and Mr. Faye, Our Founders”.
The business did well, and I opened a retail store a few blocks away at 60 Federal Street, and moved to larger quarters at 75 State Street 10 years later. When that lease was up, we actually moved back into our original location (I think the landlord was saving it for us), where we are today.
An online presence being a necessity these days, we added a website which gives a good introduction to the store and has most of the craft and jewelry inventory listed,
At the insistence of my web-wise little sister, I also opened an online Etsy shop (HiddenTreasureGems) to introduce some of our fascinating gem collection and my original designs to the wider world. This has been growing very rapidly: it’s a very enjoyable shop to browse, full of inspirational eye candy; and has provided me with wonderful clients worldwide.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Other than the ups and downs of any luxury business dependent on the economy, there are two others:
My biggest challenge is that, although I have lots of talent (or so my customers say) and love what I do; I am awful at self-promotion! I have trouble tooting my own horn, and I’m glad you’re here to do it for me!
After that, I would say that balancing the desire to be creative with the need to actually manage a business. It is tough to be both a “maker” and a “manager”. This has only gotten worse over the years, where even a micro business needs a business manager, social media manager, event director, IT person, webmaster- the list goes on.
I’ve been meaning for years to catalogue and scan some of the thousands of sketches and photos of work that I’ve done…..someday!
Harper & Faye – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’ve always tried to do what others don’t, understanding that nearly everyone enjoys discovery. Initially, I offered carefully chosen antique jewelry, which was very popular at the time but hard to find. Then I did something radical: added contemporary designer jewelry to the mix, where the designer’s name was the brand. (Most stores simply sold jewelry from nameless manufacturers.) Now, pretty much every jeweler offers designer goods.
So, what next? Here’s what I’m up to:
It turns out that a great many people simply love looking at, playing with, learning about, buying and wearing gems. Most jewelers have loose diamonds, but what about everything else! So, we have a large collection of loose colored gems for people to browse, learn about, and buy. Each is carefully “curated” to be beautiful, the real thing, and a good value. If you can pronounce it, I either have it or know where to get one!
I guess if I had to say I have a specialty, it is three of the Holy Grails of the gem world: Brazilian Paraiba tourmaline (colored a glowing swimming-pool blue), Burmese jadeite, and really fine opal. Most other stores don’t even have one of these, let alone a selection. I do show many of them on my Etsy shop, HiddenTreasureGems.etsy.com, so you can take a sneak peek if you’re curious!
I go to two major wholesale shows a year, where I hunt for new gems for my original designs and our sale collection, and fill client requests too. This service has been really popular- I can find or match pretty much anything, even if you’ve been looking for years. I text photos and pricing to you right from the show room floor.
Once you have a stone, you need a setting! I have forty years’ experience in from-scratch custom design. Being familiar with every style and period, I’m capable of producing amazingly creative work. I’ve just added CAD capability, too; which is very helpful in allowing a client to visualize the final product. Some clients aren’t sure about custom design; but here’s how it works: I will start by patiently asking questions, until the design evolves the way you want it- you’re involved in the whole process so there is no surprise at the end. This is true even if you have no idea at first what you want. One comment I hear again and again- “I love it, but I could never have imagined it!” Well, that’s MY job!
Buying jewelry this way (picking a stone, working out the design together, and making it happen) is very relaxing and enjoyable for the client. There is no “sales pressure”, it’s a different process entirely. It is also an experience they tend to repeat, starting a new project when the last one is done, and slowly building a collection of pieces they absolutely love.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There have been a lot, but I would say being asked to design the cross for the Archbishop of Edinborough (the head of the Anglican Church in Scotland). I was told it had to be better looking than the Archbishop of Canterbury’s cross, but smaller than the Pope’s.
I would also say that this business is not an easy one, you put in a lot of work for your reward and some people see the whole idea of jewelry as frivolous. But of all the things that people can make or accomplish, jewelry is the least ephemeral. Hi tech is gone in two years, high finance is just numbers going back and forth, but jewelry is pretty much forever. I have a ring that’s 1300 years old and still does its job as well as the day it was made. So, the hundreds of jewels I’ve made in my career so far will last for centuries, giving each future generation the same enjoyment and pride.
Contact Info:
- Address: Harper & Faye Jewelers
60 Federal Street
Boston, MA 02110 - Website: www.harperandfaye.com
- Phone: 617-330-1943
- Email: info@harperandfaye.com
- Other: HiddenTreasureGems.etsy.com
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