My venture into the world of jewelry and
gemstones began with meeting my hus-
band one fateful night in the winter of
2005. His family began their business
mining and cutting Opals in Idaho. I
always loved jewelry, a trait I inherited
from my mother, and was intrigued by
this world I never knew existed. Fast
forward a decade or so and Jonathan and I now own Parlé,
are gemologists, and parents to twin girls. We have the
privilege of traveling the world in search of beautiful
gemstones for my jewelry designs and have built a life
together doing something we both love.
From a young age, I have been obsessed with history. I was
the nerdy kid scrolling through history.com when my fam-
ily fi rst got the internet. From the moment I decided the
jewelry industry was my career of choice, it has seemed a
bit like fate. The history, legends, and lore in the gemstone
and jewelry world are second to none. Cures, curses,
protection, and love all exist in the gemstones we surround
ourselves with every day. This is what lead Jonathan and
me to create our Podcast, Gem Junkies. In it, we explore
the gemstones used to adorn us for millennia and the
stories behind them. I also believe knowledge can be a
powerful tool in your sales presentations.
Sharing stories with your customers can instantly connect
them with a piece of jewelry. In this series for The Jewelry
Book I am excited to delve into the legends and lore of
birthstones, and lucky us, we get to start with November,
December, and January.
62
www.thejewelrybook.com
Birthstones
By Brecken Farnsworth
Birtstones