Call of the wild
Atlanta’s Sarah Carter Hovis and Sally Carter Evans Hovis love all things wild and exotic in nature. But when the mother-daughter team couldn’t find jewelry that mixed those elements with sophisticated details, they created their own distinctive jewelry line: S. Carter Designs.
In their studio in North Buckhead, the design partners use a wide range of natural materials — often embellished with pavé diamonds set in sterling silver and 14-karat gold — to create each bold, handcrafted piece. Alligator teeth, deer burrs and arrowheads are used. So are sharks’ teeth, petrified wood and mother of pearl.
Big sellers include snake vertebrae necklaces with diamonds, boar tusk necklaces (no diamonds) and long pyrite necklaces with a variety of pendant options. Prices range from $195 to $9,000. In the Atlanta area, find S. Carter Designs at Rebecca Boutique, 3211 Cains Hill Place; Tassels, 3802 Roswell Road and B. D. Jeffries. 3736-B Roswell Road (all three are also on Facebook). Also available at www.scarterdesigns.com.
Precious metals
Drawn to the arts, English Norman had designs on becoming an architect at the University of Virginia. Then her major and focus shifted. Years after graduation and work in another field, Norman recognized her calling: to design and create something with her hands. She threw herself into a vigorous study of silversmithing.
In 1997, inspired by her love of color, texture and design, the Atlanta mother of three started ESN Artisan Jewelry.
Norman’s personalized bangles and necklaces are must-haves for moms. The sleek silver or silver with 18-karat gold dot bangles feature children’s names and birth dates. Each character is individually stamped, resulting in a piece that is uniquely charming in its simplicity and imperfection. The handcrafted bangles also make meaningful bridesmaid gifts. Also popular are Norman’s party-ready collections of sculptural earrings, often accented with semi-precious stones.
Necklaces are $75 to $350. Bracelets and bangles run $65 to $325. Earrings range from $45 to $95. In the Atlanta area, find Norman’s jewelry at the Raiford Gallery, 1169 Canton Road, in Roswell (raifordgallery.com) and the Frolic Boutique, 3728 Roswell Road or Frolic Boutique on Facebook. Also visit www.englishnorman.com.
Haute buttons
Sifting through boxes of buttons in her grandmother’s sewing room, Louisiana’s Susan Davis spied a pair of vintage glass buttons. The Louisiana State University grad told her 95-year-old grandmother that the sparkly buttons would make beautiful earrings.
That was 1985. Now, 29 years later, Davis and her company, Grandmother’s Buttons, are selling jewelry created with antique and vintage buttons to some 800 stores and boutiques nationwide.
Davis’ studio is housed on the second floor of a 1905 bank building in her tiny hometown of Francisville. The historic building also features the company’s retail store and a button museum.
Overall, the company’s best-sellers are the picture and initial charms, created using pearl buttons that were handmade from Mississippi River mussel shells in the mid-20th century.
But Grandmother’s Buttons may be better known for its necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings, created with Victorian buttons (which were once collected as a hobby) dating from 1880 to 1900. Davis mixes these rare buttons with a carefully curated selection of beads, vintage glass cabochons, brass stampings and chains to create a line that appeals to a variety of ages.
Prices for the pearl charms range from $18 to $21. Necklaces and bracelets range from $36 to $125. Earrings are $21 to $53. A sterling silver ring set with a button that is at least 100 years old sells for $84 and up.
In the Atlanta area, find Grandmother’s Buttons at Steve McKenzie’s, 996 Huff Road NW (stevemckenzies.com) or visit its booth at the Country Living Fair in Stone Mountain Park (Oct. 24-26). Check www.grandmothersbuttons.com.
Best of the South
Do you have favorite finds from around the South that you give as gifts, buy for your home or rave about to friends? If so, please share them with us. Send your suggestions to: lljerkins@gmail.com. Please include your name and contact number. Also find more Southern-made products, featured in the AJC, at Southernfinds on Facebook or on twitter@southernfinds1.
