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Cover
Cosmopolitan Cool
Centered around a logo that symbolizes unity, Misahara jewelry draws influences from around the world.
By Joyce Kauf
Everything has to be meaningful,” says Lepa Galeb-Roskopp, explaining how she mines her Balkan heritage, extensive world travel and love of nature as sources of inspiration for Misahara, her diamond and gemstone jewelry. Key to her design esthetic is her logo — the Unity triangle — that reflects the multicultural merging of people and places that she incorporates into her handcrafted pieces. Born in California to a family originally from Montenegro in the former Yugoslavia, Galeb-Roskopp spent a great deal of her childhood traveling with her family, who were in the diplomatic corps. Visiting world capitals on different continents gave her a cosmopolitan perspective and also provided an opportunity to observe street fashion that fueled her creativity. But she is adamant that she does not follow trends. “You can become jaded when you look at what everyone else is doing.”
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Misahara is designed for the “empowered woman who is willing to take risks.” Each of the named collections was inspired by a different theme. Rings is the most popular category across all collections. The jewelry ranges from $2,000 to over $100,000 — with the Cali Dreamin fancy color diamond necklace topping the chart at $800,000. Galeb-Roskopp also introduced the Unity collection, designed around her Unity logo, which offers more affordable entry price points from $600 to $3,000. The Original collection focuses on travel, especially in South Africa, with designs that incorporate gemstones that capture the country’s natural beauty and wildlife. Her Tau Diamond pendant is an abstract version of a lion’s face. Set in white diamonds and 18-karat yellow gold, it surrounds the yellow diamond Misahara unity symbol. The colors of the sea transformed into gemstones — Paraiba tourmalines, green tsavorites, emeralds and lapis — dominate her top-selling Adriatic collection that harks back to her roots. The Talasi-Deux ring makes waves with a blue star sapphire oval cabochon and the Unity charm set in blue sapphires and white diamonds. The SaharA collection describes the thrill of adventure and discovering exotic locations in diamonds, pink sapphires, fire opals, amethysts and rubies. The Misahara logo in faceted rubies with a center diamond features prominently in the sculpted Triangle-SaharA Cuff. The SaharA Eye Bracelet, an evil eye amulet, protects travelers with a center cabochon moonstone surrounded by white diamonds and blue sapphires. In a nontraditional approach to bridal, Galeb-Roskopp introduced the Petal collection, which marries new beginnings and the allure of flowers. The Pink Persuasion ring and band joins diamonds and pink sapphires in petals of 18-karat rose gold. Designed with the same gemstones, the matching Pink Persuasion earrings feature a center stone of faceted Burmese rubies. The men’s collection symbolizes power and speed. Inspired by the international car racing circuit, the pieces include Spinning Wheel cufflinks in diamonds and 18-karat yellow gold. The Rolling Onyx cufflinks, designed for the 2015 Grand Prix in Monaco, crosses the finish line in sparkling style with white diamonds and blue sapphires.
Given Galeb-Roskopp’s international focus, Misahara is sold in world capitals from London to Moscow. She opened the first Misahara boutique in Porte Montenegro, a yacht marina that primarily offers the Adriatic collection. Its first boutique in the U.S. opened in The Plaza Hotel in New York City in December 2014. “It is such an iconic setting,” Galeb-Roskopp notes of its location in one of the city’s most famous landmarks. Misahara is also sold at Neiman Marcus in Palm Beach, Florida and Palo Alto, California. Like the Misahara designs, the 440-square-foot New York boutique in The Shops at The Plaza, combines distinctive design elements. The store’s white walls add the expansive feel of a beach on the Adriatic. White shutters, reminiscent of homes in the European countryside, fill an entire wall. But the low lighting over the custom cases creates an intimate feel that directs the focus to the jewelry. And with a nod to Mother Nature, a large white granite slab sits at the one end of the center case. “I always run with my instincts,” says Galeb-Roskopp, summing up a design philosophy influenced by international travel and world events. “To be distinctive, you have to create your own world of design.”Article from the Rapaport Magazine - January 2016. To subscribe click here.
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