Eclectic, exotic, elegant…those are just a few of the
adjectives that describe the jewelry design, retail operation and lifestyle of
Daniel Gibbings, a citizen of the world whose global travels have helped
formulate his artistic vision.
Gibbings, born in South Africa, served military duty in
Libya, studied jewelry design in Israel, attended college in London and arrived
at his present home in Montecito, California, via stops in Maine, Santa Fe and
Santa Barbara. His Sycamore Canyon home, as well as his small shop, reflect his
international style, with collectibles and artwork from Morocco, Nigeria,
Israel, Pakistan, India, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
When he arrived in
Montecito from Santa Fe in 2007, Gibbings started making jewelry in a
garage studio behind his home. He then opened Daniel Gibbings Jewellery, a
combination retail space and jewelry workshop, in a small, freestanding
building on Montecito’s Coast Village Road, the local version of Rodeo Drive.
Three and one-half years
ago, Setenay Ozdemir-Osman joined the business as company president and
co-owner. Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, she spent most of her childhood in
Italy, where she first became interested in fashion and jewelry. Shortly after
graduating from Oxford University, in England, with a business degree, she came
to the U.S., where she held corporate executive positions in the nanotechnology
and finance industries before becoming partners with Gibbings.
The store is decorated with tribal art and primitive design,
an exotic mélange of styles that form a backdrop for his jewelry, which borrows
elements from Roman, Byzantine, Etruscan and African civilizations. Jewelry
images include serpents, ancient coins, intaglios and mythic figures, which are
enhanced by granulated, carved, hammered,
scrolled and woven details (see pendant on page 166). In fact, Gibbings says
many of his designs were inspired by visits to the British Museum. He states
that one of his priorities is to make his jewelry “look ancient.”
Montecito itself is one of California’s little treasures,
attracting a lot of international tourism, the occasional Hollywood personality
— Oprah Winfrey and other stars live in the area — as well as a number of
well-traveled, affluent and sophisticated locals. In addition to local
clientele, it isn’t unusual for the designer to receive a call from someone in
Russia who saw the jewelry while on vacation in California.
Cut to Order
The majority of Gibbings’
jewelry designs are colored gemstones, which he travels the world to find.
Mozambique tourmaline is a current favorite, as are multicolored sapphires,
rubies, spinels, pearls, rose quartz and rubellite. But he also loves diamonds
— white as well as a variety of natural colors. Most colorless diamonds are eye
clean and H or better in color. “I select and pick the stones from the rough. I
don’t want to cut away too much, just enough to create the shape of the stone.”
On smaller melee, however, he uses traditional cuts. Gibbings says some of the
custom-cut diamonds he uses are cut in Namibia and travel via Belgium to his
shop.
Ozdemir-Osman says one of the key elements of Gibbings’ style
is having gemstones cut the way he wants, rather than buying stock stones in
standard cuts. “Daniel wanted more organic cuts that give him the ability to
create his designs,” she says. Rings, pendants and earrings often feature a
combination of gemstones in gold, with cabochon and faceted cuts, briolettes
and smooth drops.
Gibbings alloys much of his own gold, but if he buys it from
an outside source, he gives specific instructions for its color. He favors a
“royal honey yellow” color because its richness enhances both diamonds and
colored gemstones. All of his gold is 20-karat, which he says has the look of
higher-karat gold but all the strength of 18-karat.
Design Speaks
Gibbings says his clients cover a wide swath of ages and
lifestyles, from 20-somethings to women in their eighties, but they all share
one characteristic: They are confident in their own taste, know what they want
and are looking for something unique. He says whatever a client buys and
however she wears it, each piece comes to reflect her personal style.
“Collectors are my best customers,” the designer says. One of his great
satisfactions in the design and sale of jewelry is the ability to get in touch
with his clients on a personal level. That’s when “the magic happens,” he says.
Many of his newest clients are young customers becoming
engaged. “Diamond engagement rings are always a big part of my business,” he
says, “even if it’s a guy purchasing the ring rather than the couple.” His
newest designs are organic in shape and utilize various sizes of diamonds. One
popular model is a cluster construction that gives the appearance of a much
larger diamond. He offers it in 20-karat as well as 18-karat and platinum.
Over the past year, Gibbings has been creating a wholesale
line, an extension for a designer whose previous pieces were all one-of-a-kind.
The line incorporates his signature 20-karat gold with colored gemstones, but
in pieces that can be produced in larger quantities. When he previewed it at
the May Couture Show in Las Vegas, he got a strong, favorable response. Still,
says the designer, the goal is to grow “in a controlled way” and to offer the
collection to a select number of retail outlets that can “communicate the value
of the brand.”