AphroChic Magazine: Issue No. 8

ARTISTS & ARTISANS
Sheryl began her career in fine jewelry
in 1999, after working for a decade in the entertainment
industry as a film and television
publicist. “I have always been passionate
about fine gemstones’ transformative power
and beauty,” she explains, “And I dreamed of
one day bringing music’s similar vitality to a
jewelry collection of my own.”
Sheryl's three fine-jewelry concepts
for the Sotheby's exhibit are part of her
Luminous Collection, which she conceived
to honor Black women who have broken
barriers and made history – much like
Sheryl herself in the jewelry business. The
one-of-a-kind colorful objects are imbued
with symbolism and significance. These
exquisite pieces manifest the strength and
beauty of every woman who wears them.
“I wanted to honor the tremendous
accomplishments and contributions to
society that Black women have made, in the
past and in the present. I know how hard
it is to be the only one or to have to break
through a barrier,” Sheryl says. “It takes
persistence, resilience, patience, and creativity.
So I wanted to put the spotlight
on Black women who have changed the
world by breaking the rules and forging
new paths. Each piece in the Luminous
Collection isn’t just a pretty look – they
are all crafted to represent strength and
the ability to embrace what makes us
different.
“Black women are excelling in every
industry from science, finance, entertainment,
to fashion, sports and art,” Sheryl
continues. “We are holding positions and
achieving successes that women just one
generation ago could only dream about.
Women like my mother were often the first
in their families to go to college and to
achieve in ways their parents could never
imagine, but they had very limited career
paths and positions.”
Sheryl is known for her work with
colorful stones, and this collection is no
different, featuring stones in a panoply of
shapes and a tapestry of colors to reflect
the vast array of interests and goals that
make Black women unique, while highlighting
the common values and qualities
that bind and lift us all.
“Each stone is weighted with meaning
and symbolism,” Jones said. “They make
a statement on their own and complement
the strength and determination of the
woman who would make them her own.” AC
The Pink & Peridot Necklace, which can
be worn in three ways, is comprised of 34
perfectly matched Ascher cut peridot, set with
multi-shape clusters of pink sapphires, rubies,
tourmalines, kunzite and diamonds. The unique
design includes a removable pendant set with
peridot, purple-pink diamond and unheated
purple sapphire, grape garnet, light and hot pink
sapphires, tourmalines, and diamonds.
“Peridot is associated with strength and
confidence, so I wanted to design a necklace
that would represent noble women who
demonstrate courage in the face of adversity and
act with quiet strength,” Sheryl Jones reveals.
“With the peridot, there is a nod to wealth and
independence, the ability for a woman to stand
on her own. Add the pendant with its purple-pink
diamond and sapphires, and the look becomes
more soft, instinctive and passionate. I love that
duality in women.”
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