Meet Stephanie Theofilos of Abril Barret in Jewelry District

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Theofilos.

Stephanie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Abril Barret was started with a distinct intention to create unconventional yet wearable fine jewelry with a strong personality. As sisters who grew up walking hallways of museums, we always appreciated fine art but equally loved modernity. We wanted to create pieces that danced with the dualities of life: highs and lows, dark and light, heavy and weightlessness. It started in 2014 with our camp bracelets, a mix of 14kt or 18kt gold with plastic lace or nylon string, woven in a way that immediately returns you to childhood, yet mature enough to propel you through your adulthood. The beads themselves are solid gold and can be appreciated for years to come whether they stay on the bracelet, are moved to a necklace, or combined with other elements. We loved this combination of camp and fine, sophisticated and fun, and we continued to build on it. Our name, Abril Barret, is a pseudonym, she is all personalities, you now, you later, an alter-ego, she can be open, she can be closed, she is you changing every day.

We believe fine jewelry should be made with intention and attention, it should be an investment that never stops giving. One that can be loved now but also forever, way down your family line.

We have continued to build on our foundation of duality exploration and have started creating pieces that are unique and multi-functional. Rings masquerading as pendants, bracelets that can be attached to form necklaces, chokers as wrist wraps. Self-expression is at the core of all art, and for us, fine jewelry is no different, it should be an extension of oneself that exudes confidence, happiness, depth, love.

Color has always been a major factor in our process and the incredible natural color spectrum of sapphires constantly moves us, it drove us to create our ping pong collection, in which we use all-natural sapphires to create spectrums of ethereal movement. We’re avid explorers in the multitude of benefits from gems and crystals, from their historical uses and meanings to their more modern applications; their permanence and impact are quite astonishing and we are constantly learning new aspects of geology and our incredible planet.

Now we design around concepts, color, sentiments; although not such a far cry from our camp bracelets, we are focused more on creating pieces that don’t exist, unique expressions of love, special pieces to always cherish. Each piece is made to order and customizable to any heart’s pleasure.

Our collection has continued to evolve since our camp bracelets, but our guiding principles are still color, quality, personality, and duality.

Has it been a smooth road?
Is it ever smooth?!?! Haha!

It’s a hard industry to jump into without a specific background, as a lawyer with no connects in the jewelry industry, it was frustrating at first to find those who wanted to work with me!

I also find the jewelry wholesale industry to be quite closed, as with most industries, and trying to squeeze into that inner circle is still a mission.

Luckily, about a year in, I found an incredible mentor who has taught me to become a bench jeweler. Although I’m not making any of the final pieces myself, I leave that to the master jewelers, it has been integral in my design growth to be physical with the materials, using my hands to make samples that no one wants to make because “that’s not how it’s done” or the like. It’s a very old fashioned industry, lots of handshakes and history, it has been around as long as us! But we’re so blessed to have found key partners in all arenas, from our stone sourcers to lapidaries to setters and jewelers. It’s been a bumpy ride but that keeps it exciting, different, and capable of growth. We are a very small brand with a single intention of making forever pieces, and those that are helping us work within our vision are integral and those who support us make the whole project fruitful!

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I would say we’re known most for our use of color. Our ping pong collection contains pieces that use exclusively natural sapphires (and white diamonds) arranged in magical hues and spectrums of color. It takes a lot of sourcing to accomplish the spectrums but it’s always worth it. Like many natural stones, the region of the mine dictates the natural qualities of the stone such as color, so we have to find stones from all over the world to achieve seamless spectrums. I’m definitely proud of this because it takes a lot of effort and attention, but in the end, it is art.

We’re also proud of our multi-tiered sustainability focus because it’s very important to be responsible when you are creating new products these days. Our foremost concern is creating sustainable products that last the test of time. Even in fine jewelry, we are constantly surprised by how many poorly made pieces are marketed and sold at incredibly high prices. That’s why quality is at the top of our list, we believe, like Vivienne, in buying less, choosing well, and having things that last. Each piece is created by itself, free from a mass production, where it is truly one of a kind—demand is supply. We use only top quality components and qualified master jewelers, dedicated to their craft. Each piece additionally undergoes a lengthy quality control at every stage, ensuring its fitness. We want our pieces to be enjoyed by you, then, years and years (and years and years) later by yours.

Secondly, we believe it is extremely important to have integrity not only in the products but in the process and the raw materials themselves. Integrity in the people. Each of our vendors, sources, jewelers, and craftsmen are treated with respect, high earnings, and fair practices. We have a thorough vetting process in place to ensure these are upheld. All of our stones are natural and come from ethical mines. On a planetary spectrum, we also have a recycle program, where we re-work customers’ old pieces, whether a gorgeous set of pearls from grandma that’s just not doing it or new a ring that missed the mark. We use recycled gold when we can determine the purity and alloys, and we package everything in reusable cases and boxes so there’s little to no waste is packaging. We are simply here to create incredible, unique pieces of everlasting love.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
YES! If you want to be hands-on, you have to bee in NY or LA to make fine jewelry!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.abrilbarret.com
• Email: sup@abrilbarret.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/abrilbarret

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