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Diamond Gumball · Fine Jewlery · Irene Neuwirth · Jul 26, 2021
A few weeks ago, jewelry designer, equestrian, animal lover, and A'maree's longtime friend and customer, Irene Neuwirth stopped by to shop after a few hours spent riding her horse. She was accompanied by her best friend and labradoodle Ernie. A California girl through and through, Irene radiates effortless cool girl energy - a girl who, within hours, can go from riding her horse at the stables to sporting a chic Brock dress paired with an Opal Candy beaded necklace of her own design.
A Venice, CA native, Irene grew up in the world of business and art - her mom is a painter and her dad is a business man. She's always had a good balance of work and play, a mentality that has allowed her to do what she loves for over 19 years. In high school, Irene made jewelry for the fun of it. It wasn't until she sent a package of her jewelry to luxury retailer and the now closed Barney's New York, with a handwritten note reading "I hope you love it", that things really kicked off for her business. "I really get off on making sales and making business happen," Neuwirth says. "It doesn't hurt that I love what I do and what I create. A'maree's has been there for me since the start and creating a special capsule exclusively for the store feels more right now than ever." The capsule is called Diamond Gumball. The feel is something truly special. A mix of oceanic freedom meets disco party. There is no R.S.V.P required to transport yourself and no attire requirements. The collection looks as chic and effortless with a structured Jil Sander dress as it does with an Also Freedom tee and Citizens of Humanity denim.
Irene's luxury jewelry line, Irene Neuwirth, is both understated and elegant. Feminine and strong. All of her pieces are unique. "People who buy from me want well made, pretty jewelry that none of their friends have," Irene says. "No two pieces are alike." Irene's inspiration for her jewelry often comes from the ocean - a sweet homage to her beach side upbringing. Her line often incorporates sapphires, pearls, diamonds and opals. On her love for opals, Irene says it's because "they look like the bottom of the sea, with a lot of depth and flashes of red and green."
When COVID hit, the world fell on hard times. Irene felt the weight of the pandemic's repercussions when she received a call saying she would have to lay off half of her staff. There was no way Irene was going to let that happen. "I said, 'give me the exact numbers of what we have to pay off. We're going to get through this and pay off all of our debt. Absolutely no lay offs and no salary reduction,'" Irene explains. "I made it personal because I knew there was another way." Her resilience paid off and she was able to get back to the roots of her fathers business strengths. She took virtual appointments with clients and connected in a more personal way that people loved. She was able to get rid of her company's debts and keep every single employee. With 30 employees, Irene couldn't help but make the situation personal - its a very in house company and her employees are like family, very much like A'maree's.
During the pandemic, she thought about what her relationships - both business and personal - meant to her and how she wanted to give back to those that have stayed true and loyal to her brand. Irene's relationship with A'maree's spans 19 years - this sparked something in her to create the disco party jewelry line, Diamond Gumball, specially for A'maree's. The Diamond Gumball line includes hand made diamond ball earrings and gumball-shaped beaded necklaces accented with diamond, lapis, and pink opal. "This line is playful and fun," Irene says. "It's the big kid version of a kids necklace." Let's toast to this special capsule and a forever young spirit.
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