“One way or another I’ve been designing since I was a kid, " says New York jewelry designer, Bess Heitner.  “My mother was a millinery buyer at Bloomingdale’s in the days when no woman of fashion would be seen without a hat, even on a trip to the Post Office. Our home was filled with brightly colored ribbons, flowers, pins, felt shapes, and all the fixings for elaborate bonnets. I discovered I had a flair for combining forms, textures, and colors and before long I was helping my mother concoct her elaborate creations.”

 Bess, whose contemporary jewelry designs have been featured on ABC-TV , Japanese television, and Craft Report Magazine, seeks out the finest stones and minerals from the world’s treasure troves…Peruvian Opal…Brazilian amethyst and tourmaline…Italian branch coral…Indian rubies… just to name a few. She finishes each piece with custom clasps handcrafted from unusual objects or gems set in precious metals. Tiny Austrian crystals and luminous pearls add a subtle sparkle and flattering glow to all skin tones. Her work is available through fashion stylists and image consultants, and in select boutiques. Now the collection is also available online.