Theresa Bruno, owner of Jordan Alexander fine jewelry, has created pieces for some of the most famous women in the world, including Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Julia Roberts—now she’s turned her hand to ceramics
Theresa Bruno’s recently launched range of beautifully glazed, pearl-adorned ceramic bowls looks set to become collectors’ pieces, but the ride hasn’t always been smooth for Bruno. From the tremendous pride she felt when Michelle Obama wore her jewels, to the sadness she still feels about the injury that put an end to her career as a concert pianist, the jewelry designer and businesswoman has had highs as well as lows in her career. Here she talks to Luxury Defined about her successes, her philanthropy, and her new direction.
Your life has gone through various twists and turns yet you seem always to make a success of whatever you turn your hand to. What’s your secret?
No secret, but an ingrained philosophy that you should always do your best—for yourself and for others—and use your talents fully. My first-choice career was to be a concert pianist. Music was, and is, my passion. I trained at the Juilliard School and was working towards fulfilling my dream when a serious injury to my hand forced me to change direction. It was a huge blow—and it’s still really difficult some days as I miss playing and performing—but I had to accept and adapt. I went into television production and worked in the commercial film business in Los Angeles for some time. Then one day, I went into Barneys New York in New York City and became transfixed with their vintage jewels, which set me on the path I’m still walking along.
How did you start?
Simply by creating pieces for myself, mostly with semiprecious beads and pearls. My husband likes to tell the story of coming to visit me in Los Angeles and finding me sitting in the backyard with a fishing tackle box, fishing line, and beads everywhere. I was trying to figure out how to create unusual knots and how to place colors and stones in unexpected, beautiful formations.
Talk us through your design process. Do you sketch on paper or on a computer?
I sketch almost everything before I take it to my craftsman. My sketches aren’t beautiful, but they do show where I am heading with my thinking. Then I start searching for stones that will bring the work to life. From there I collaborate with my craftsman to define how I want the gold to be worked and how I want the stones set. My first pieces were ones I tied together—no metalwork—but a vital lesson in which colors and shapes worked well together.
How did you learn your craft?
I’m not a goldsmith, and now that my pieces are predominately made using precious metals and stones, I’ve handed over the making to people who have trained their whole lives to do this. Learning about the stones themselves is a lifelong process. So far, I’m 10 years down the line and it’s been a decade of trial and error. I always had a vision for how I wanted my pieces to look, but achieving that has taken a lot of experimenting and a lot of failure.
Where does your inspiration come from?
My husband and I love to travel, and new places and cultures inspire me. We were recently in Africa and I suspect my next collection will be heavily influenced by the colors of the Maasai Mara.
How would you describe your work?
I have an old master’s aesthetic juxtaposed with a modern hand. I create collectible jewelry—heirlooms, perhaps—that today you might wear with your favorite jeans, but your child might wear as a wedding piece. I grew up immersed in classical music and art. I adore modern architecture, photography, and fashion, and I express my influences and passions through my designs.
Michelle Obama is one of your clients. How important has her endorsement been?
It was extraordinary to have Ms. Obama validate and wear my designs. I felt like a kid at Christmas. I squealed and giggled and danced around the room the first time she requested to wear some pieces. Her validation has opened doors for me. She’s also helped me believe in myself as a designer. Aside from that, she’s an inspiration to me. I draw courage from her strength and the good she does.
You’re a philanthropist and give a percentage of your profits to the anti-slavery, not-for-profit organization A21. How did you become involved?
I’ve always supported charities that work with women and children, and with the dispossessed—those who don’t have access to education, who are homeless, or who experience domestic violence or disease. I didn’t know much about human trafficking until about five years ago. The more I learned, the more I felt compelled to get involved. Chris Caine, who started A21, is a family friend. Her organization is doing powerful work around the globe to abolish this abhorrent, criminal activity that is prevalent throughout the world.
Your gems are all ethically mined. Is it difficult to source clean gems?
The jewelry business has a way to go before it can be truly sustainable, but I am committed to doing my utmost to change the industry and to lead by example: I recycle and upcycle whenever possible. I also only work with conflict-free stones and buy most of my gems from a family-owned mine in Brazil that treats its workers fairly.
Many of the pieces you create are bespoke. When you meet someone new, how do you approach the design of their piece?
I love working directly with a client to create a one-of-a-kind piece: it’s creatively challenging and extremely fulfilling. That said, I also love creating the collections for the line. I’m thrilled I can do both. When I meet new clients, I can’t help but look at their eyes, and the length of their limbs and neck, visualizing the colors and styles that would work. Some clients have firm ideas about what they would like, so I create what they’ve envisioned within my design sensibilities. Other clients want to be advised. Always it is a highly collaborative process.
You’ve recently expanded into ceramics. Do these pieces have the same aesthetic foundation as your jewels?
I’ve been collaborating with a potter for a few years. We’ve done some beautiful work that is an amalgam of her unique hand with clay, combined with my palettes in the glazes, and embedding pearls and stones in the clay. It’s a lot of fun and I’d certainly like to do more of it. Right now, the range is quite small—largely limited to bowls, but my mind is busy coming up with ideas, so I am sure more will follow. I’m always creating, and always dreaming about what lies ahead. My new showroom in Houston, Texas, is taking up much of my time at the moment, but I’m not one to stand still for too long, so watch this space…
