From
Cleveland, Tennessee, USA, welcome Kelly Herd!
As the coproprietor of K & C Western & English Jewelry LLC, he wows the world with his beautiful creations. Combining the love of horses
and the equestrian lifestyle with gold and silver, he offers a nice selection.
I personally own a pair of KH's blue saddle conchos!
All
of his jewelry is stunning…
Kelly
says, “My first taste of the jewelry business was while I was in college back
in the 80's. I actually helped my Mom take a small business and turn it into a
national one, and by 1992 I had acquired another company and started my own
design and manufacturing. I spent several years in the retail business both in
commercial retail and traveling to equestrian trade shows. This was the perfect
place to understand the needs of equestrian enthusiast. After having success in
the retail field I moved more into the manufacturing and distribution part
of the business. We now sell to over 600 retailers worldwide, servicing both
chain stores as well as independents. We strive to offer quality craftsmanship,
with a rich luxurious look and feel with affordable silver price, as well
as an opportunity for a one of a kind design.”
As an
artist, how do you come up with new ideas and designs?
I
think it is something that has to come natural to someone; you have a good
feeling that something is going to be a popular when you are working on it, and
it is always a nice feeling when it has been received well.
Do you
have a favorite design of your own creation?
I
have been in the business so long - there are many. My favorite time is when
the wife or girlfriend turns to her man and rewards him with a big smile and
kiss.
What is
your most popular jewelry design?
We
have several; it really depends on taste and style. Jewelry is extremely
personal.
What types
of metals, precious stones, and settings do you use?
The
nice thing about having a fully equipped manufacturing facility in house is
that we alloy all our own metals. We offer a variety of karated
gold as well as sterling silver, we are also proud to use only conflict free
diamonds in our gold designs. So if our customers want a combination of white
and yellow gold with any choice of precious or semi-precious stones, we have
all that available for them.
What are
the steps for creating a custom design jewelry piece?
This
is a great question and we get asked this all the time. There is a particular
process we follow to assure customer satisfaction. Once a customer submits an
idea we can help them develop the concept, once that is complete we carve the
wax in the size and dimensions they want, we then show them or send them
the wax for final approval and cast it in house in whatever metal they choose.
This takes time and can be costly, but it is worth having a piece of jewelry
that has a special bond.
Describe
the most extravagant piece of jewelry in your collection...
We
made a big 5 ring for a lady out of Las Vegas several years ago, there was a
lot going on in that one ring.
You offer
organization membership discounts. What does that entail?
We
work with college equestrian teams, or organizations with fund raising and
special discounting for year-end awards and special projects.
What is
the latest date to order to have my jewelry gifts by Christmas?
We
keep almost everything in stock, so we can deliver on the 24th if you need a
last minute stocking stuffer.
Connect with Kelly
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