Judith Bright adds sparkle to the Virginia Highland business district

How did the birth of your jewelry business come about?

After a lifelong love of jewelry and a series of jobs along the way, it was 2005 and I had just moved to Nashville from LA with a stopover in Florence, Italy. Our family took a gap year and I was able to take jewelry-making classes there. I loved it so much. I was Cinderella and the slipper finally fit. I knew that I would do everything in my power to focus and make jewelry a part of my life...no matter what.

What are your inspirations for the jewelry designs?

I started off designing things for myself, things that I wanted in my jewelry wardrobe, pieces that I thought were missing. I still do, although that was definitely my first perspective. Then I started moving on to things I thought others would like to have in all different age and style groups. I envisioned different types of women. I guess I was trying to design universally appealing jewelry and jewelry that would fit anyone of any size. That has always been important to me. I have constructed my line to be accessible, regardless of small or large size, every woman can wear every piece we make. There's nothing exclusive about us. We are all about being inclusive!

Are all of your employees creative artists?

Most of them have some kind of arts background. As we expand, there are more employees with exclusively sales backgrounds. Having said that, they are incredibly creative in so many ways. Creativity is not limited to arts. I have definitely learned that from my sales employees.

Where do you source your metals and stones?

We get our metals in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We source our huge variety of gemstones all over the world but purchase the rough stones and have them hand-cut to our specifications in Jaipur, India. We get our sandalwoods, lotus flower and reetha seeds in Nepal. We have been in relationships with all of our sources since the inception of our business. These relationships have been rich and meaningful, not anything I could have imagined but something for which I am eternally grateful.

What led to your expansion to three stores?

We were interested in taking our concept to cities that we could easily reach by car. We consider ourselves a Southern brand so Atlanta and Birmingham just made sense. I just completed the "JB Triangle" this past weekend! It was so great to be able to hit our three stores in less than a week and have a good visit with all of them.

Why did you decide on locating a store in the Virginia Highland section of Atlanta?

A friend of a friend called her friend, and she called me to tell me that a store in her neighborhood had just come up for rent. It was in a great location on the corner of Virginia and Highland. It was tiny, and small spaces are the hardest spaces to come by in retail, as they are the most desirable. It was also in a location where spaces hardly ever come up. I was actually in Birmingham at the time, doing a trunk show, and I was literally on the way home. I got off the highway, turned around and headed to Atlanta to check it out.

What separates Judith Bright Jewelry from other artisan jewelers?

Most jewelry designers, who make by hand, usually sell wholesale to stores, boutiques and galleries — or they do craft shows, fairs and trunk shows in order to get exposure for their jewelry. That is a good route to get quicker perfusion into a market. We decided to take the scary slow boat and open our own stores. It's a slower burn, but hopefully will make a deeper mark. Other than that, our line is very expansive. We offer more gemstone options that any other jewelry designer that I know of. We use very high quality materials and each piece is made by hand from start to finish. We are very cognizant of the metaphysical properties of our gemstones. We believe we create jewelry with a soul; meaningful pieces, touched by many hearts and hands along the way.

What do you like the most about Atlanta?

Atlanta is a vibrant city. There's really no place like it. There's a strong, purposeful heartbeat that courses through every street. It's a sophisticated metropolis with a Southern soul. Every time I'm in the Atlanta store I meet interesting people that make me wish I lived there full time so I could get to know them better. And the food, oh Lordy the food. Give me a break!

Where do you see your business in 5 years?

It's my dream to have a store in every major Southern city and a website that is recognized all over the U.S. as a place to buy quality affordable jewelry. I have my sights set on Charleston, Charlotte and New Orleans next. And of course there are those great Texan cities: Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas that we also adore. But I guess the bottom line is that I want to still be making jewelry that our customers love with a team who genuinely enjoys one another. What more could anyone ask for?