Introduction:
Meet Nicole Gariepy of FantaSea Jewelry. Her path from ballet to jewelry-making showcases the power of embracing change. Nicole’s intuition led her from center stage to the jewelry bench, where her jewelry making inspiration tells stories of resilience and beauty.
Learn how overcoming challenges, like a devastating hurricane, shaped her vision and inspired her unique jewelry designs. This is a story of creativity and the willingness to follow your heart.
Artistic Origins:
Vicki: “Can you share a story of what drew you to your chosen medium and how your artistic journey began?”
Nicole: My creative endeavors began in my early childhood years as a classical ballet dancer, studying in New England ballet schools. I fell in love with the art and structure of ballet and it was my focus and something I became very good at. I loved performing, and the first time I ever set foot on a stage, under those bright lights with an audience full of people, I knew I was home. I was exactly where I belonged. I continued dancing up into my late 20s and studied with prestigious schools like the Joffrey Ballet School in Manhattan. When I was 17 I was offered a spot in a ballet company in Puerto Rico, but the dance world didn’t feel like the ideal career path long term, and it was around this time that I found the world of jewelry.
I started making jewelry in high school when I worked at a fine jewelry store part-time. I fell in love with everything about the store and the business, asking lots of questions of everyone who worked there and absorbing all the information I could. This was, of course, before the internet, so I did research on my own, but that mostly came in the form of books and industry magazines. I started the hands-on jewelry making process with pearl stringing and bead work, and for many years I never considered picking up a torch because that felt intimidating. At that time, I was falling in love with gemstones and gemology and planned to focus on that, which I did. I studied gemology and received several certificates and diplomas from the Gemological Institute of America. I worked for years as a jewelry store retail manager, merchandiser and buyer, and eventually found that I needed more in the way of creative fulfillment – and I was having a hard time finding a decent bench jeweler – so I became one!
Pivotal Moments:
Vicki: “Is there a pivotal moment or experience in your life that influenced your jewelry?”
Nicole: I would say there are many, but the ones that come to mind are the closing of my first jewelry business due to severe creative and physical burnout. I loved what I did and loved the business I had built at that time, it was booming and my biggest struggle was keeping up with the demand for my work and not burning out. My heart broke when I closed that business, but I knew it was what I needed to do to save my sanity and my love for the jewelry business and making jewelry in general.
When I acquired my current business, FantaSea Jewelry, I knew I needed to set this one up differently and in a more sustainable way, and I have mostly been able to do this. Since having this business, I went through a significant hurricane season that really devastated the island I live on, and the experience of that, and the recovery from such an intense storm has brought a ton of inspiration into my work. It was in the people, the energies, and a community coming together that re-inspired my love for people and the goodness that exists in the world. For so long that was hard to see, and it is very interesting what the metaphor of a natural disaster can emphasize. Some storms come to clear a path in our lives and make space for new growth. It is also what creates opportunities for me to grow and expand, moving my business from an e-commerce exclusive business to a brick and mortar, that has now grown into a space where I also sell art for other artists.
After the hurricanes of 2017, I also got sober, and that changed my life in all the most amazing ways. I have been able to show up for myself and my business and achieve the success that would have most likely eluded me otherwise. My creativity has never been so rich since being able to face life with a clear mind and refreshed soul.
Creative Process:
Vicki: “Could you walk us through your creative process? How did you transform your initial idea into a finished piece?”
Nicole: My creative process changes depending on the vision. I generally get an idea in my head, which can just come to me fully formed like a picture, or I have an experience in life that I want to find a symbol of to share through the medium of jewelry. I work in precious metals and genuine gemstones, so that includes sterling silver, karat golds, platinum and palladium for the most part, and all gemstones sourced from the earth but never grown in a lab. I love hand fabrication and watching a piece come together completely in my hands, but of course, as a busy business owner, hand fabricating every piece I sell is not an option. I have several production collections that are molded and cast using the lost wax casting process and have even designed a collection using CAD. Sometimes I work directly in wax creating pieces that way, and sometimes the models start as hand fabricated metals. Gemstones are my favorite to incorporate into my pieces, as gems were my first love and the reason that I fell in love with the jewelry business in the first place. I adore all types of gemstones including diamonds, and while I love a high quality, traditional looking gem like a round diamond, or fine quality ruby or sapphire, I tend to work with a lot of more obscure forms of gems that people aren’t as familiar with. When working with gems, I very often let the gemstone tell me what it wants to be. I will start by making the setting for the gemstone and then decide where to go from there. This also helps me during creative blocks, as just getting started helps move the creative energy along in the process.
Meaningful Creations:
Vicki: “Is there a piece you’ve made that is particularly meaningful to you? What’s the story behind it?”
Nicole: One of my most significant collections, and my best seller, is the “Eye of the Storm”. Ironically, it was not one that I designed immediately after the experience of the 2017 hurricanes, but one that has come to represent the resilience of people and how we can all be the calm in the eye of the storm, the storms of life that will inevitably happen, and in the middle of it we can be the centered and grounded energy, regardless of what is happening and swirling in chaos around us.
I have also had the great opportunity to create many special and meaningful pieces for clients, memorials to late spouses and pets, engagement rings for friends and family and so much more. While my custom work availability is very limited, it is something I very much enjoy as it gives me the opportunity to connect with my clients and hear their unique life experiences and stories, often transforming those into a special piece of jewelry just for them.
Future Aspirations:
Vicki: “Looking forward, what are your aspirations or dreams for your future as a jewelry designer?
Nicole: I’m in a fabulous place in my business right now where there are so many places I can go and things I can do. However, as it has always been my focus with this business since starting over, creativity is the guiding light and reason for everything I do. So, my plans will be more creating and focusing on really tapping into the divine energy of creation. I believe creativity is something that we as the artists, the ones who are called to this creative work, are here to bring to the world in the form of beautiful things that make people happy and connect with them on a soul level. So that and more of that!
Click here to listen: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-minds-brilliant-life/id1710953280
I also started a podcast this year, which is very much focused on my mission of bringing beauty and inspiration into the world, along with the idea that I find to be true that, as humans, we are all inherently creative! I love talking about how creativity runs throughout our lives and exploring what it means to truly live a creative life. Many people have just not found their form of artistic expression, or they simply don’t recognize it. I believe that life itself is a creative experience, and we get to create and re-create ourselves and our lives over and over again if we choose. As a true creator, I am the most excited when I am creating something new – and that isn’t limited to something tangible like jewelry, the podcast has been a fun and inspiring creative journey and I have many new creative projects in the works!
Find You:
Vicki: “How can someone contact you to purchase your jewelry?”
Nicole: My brick-and-mortar retail studio and art gallery is located on the island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. It is always the best to come shopping in person! I also sell my jewelry on my website, fantaseajewelry.com and I will often have virtual shopping events on Facebook.
Vicki: “Do you offer online or in-person workshops/classes?”
Nicole: Nothing at the moment.
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