04 Oct Get Your Sparkle on with Cynthia Bloom Collectible Jewelry!

Twelve years ago I went shopping at the Austin Junior League Christmas Bazaar, and I discovered this incredible jewelry line. Full of texture and color, I was instantly drawn to it and started chatting with the owner. The designer, Cynthia Bloom, and I hit it off immediately. As we became friends, it was funny to realize that we were also neighbors, both living in Austin’s coveted 78704 neighborhoods for 30 + years, Cynthia on one side of the tracks and me on the other.

Cynthia and I have been close friends ever since that day – compadres as South Austin entrepreneurs of small boutique-size businesses with our studios in our homes.  As proprietors of local cottage industries, we both participated in Austin Fashion Week and grew our businesses.  Soon Cynthia was taking me up to Dallas Market and showing me the ropes of wholesale. We’ve had a great time together over the years, and it’s always nice to have a friend to “talk shop” with.

Today I’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Bloom Collectible Jewelry (CBCJ). I’m honored that Cynthia chose our blog to announce her BIG news. I sat down with Cynthia recently to learn more about the history of her business and why this news is so important to the growth of her company.

PG: I understand you have a REALLY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT to make about your jewelry business that your clients have been waiting years for, right?  Before we reveal your exciting news, please share with those who aren’t familiar with your gorgeous jewelry line how you even got started making jewelry.

CB: Oh yes!  My clients are the bedrock of my business, and they have patiently been waiting for this BIG day.  Happy to share my story, as it’s all about discovering – by accident – a new path in life.

That moment came for me 17 years ago when I was a waitress at Castle Hill Cafe, and a friend invited me to place a few items in an upcoming antique sale. This gave me an idea.  I had a treasured white satin beaded necklace that had been given to me by a friend’s grandmother.  I’d worn it for many years until some of the multiple strands came apart. I wondered if I could reuse the gorgeous beads and make several new necklaces. Before the antique sale, I put my creations into an old wooden cigar box and took them to work. They were an instant hit and I got my first custom order.

This sudden success really piqued my curiosity. So I went online to research the origin of my beads. I discovered they dated around 1910 and were made by Czechoslavakian artisans using hand-blown and hand-cut techiques passed down through generations.  I learned master bead makers had been forced to hide their beads during both world wars to protect them from confiscation or destruction. Later many of the remaining beads were exported around the world. I began to look for more antique beads, made contacts, requested color samples, and placed my first order.

On a financial wing and prayer, I was suddenly thrust into the jewelry design business.

PG: That’s amazing it all started from a cigar box and you have so many collectors that keep coming back. Tell us more about your jewelry line and what you think draws your clients back again and again?

CB:  My creations recall a grand era of the past, yet do so with contemporary flair which is attractive and relevant for my clients with today’s fashions. All my designs are handcrafted in my Austin studio. They include rare antique hand-blown, hand-cut Czech glass beads (circa 1910-1920), vintage and modern Swarovski Austrian crystals, freshwater pearls, unique gemstones and handcrafted Czech glass buttons that are hand-pressed with up to 200-year-old molds.

There’s a real history to my work with a lot of color and texture.  I think because my pieces are unique and limited production, many of my clients like to collect my jewelry. 

One customer recently said, “I own many of Cynthia’s pieces….and receive so many compliments on each and every one.”

Another told me, “This is the most beautiful, feminine, unique collection of jewelry. An absolute treasure! I love every piece I own.”

PG: That is fascinating! So with no jewelry design background you soon had this wealth of history with your materials. What has inspired you then and now?

CB:  My mother was born in 1912, and I think my inspiration started back in the 1950s as a little girl. The sparkle of my mother’s engagement ring from the 1920s was always catching my eye. I loved pulling out her glimmering vintage jewels from her jewelry box — it was like I had rediscovered a treasure chest every time I looked through it.

The styles, colors, and fashions in the Victorian, Edwardian, and Art Deco periods have always drawn me in. So I seek out timeless treasures that have never before been used. I’m passionate about bringing such spectacular works of the past into the present where they can be seen, worn, and enjoyed by an entirely new generation. This gives real meaning to my work, not to mention the joy and smiles I witness when people discover my collection.

PG: Thank you for sharing your story. I think it’s time now for your BIG EXCITING NEWS! Can you please tell us how this news is a new transition for your small business? I think it’s going to allow many more people outside of Austin the opportunity to enjoy your jewelry, am I right? 

CB: Yes, folks have been asking for years if my designs can be purchased online. Today I’m really excited to announce that I’ve now launched a NEW WEBSITE featuring a brand-new ONLINE STORE!  Now all of my existing clients – as well as new ones – can shop anywhere, anytime, day or night, for necklaces, earrings, cuffs, and rings from all my collections.  It’s been years in the making and I’m thrilled to be able to offer my jewelry to everyone. 

PG: Well, congratulations, Cynthia! I am so excited for you too. Do you show your work anywhere else?

CB:  My jewelry can be found in Texas at Kirchman Gallery in Johnson City, Art Connections Gallery in La Grange, and my studio by appointment. Also I exhibit in many shows and art festivals throughout the region and have a number of events coming up for the holidays. They are listed on my website under EVENTS.

PG: Lastly, I understand that you have a new puppy and he somehow is involved in your jewelry business perhaps with a blog or something like that?

CB: Yes, I do have a new puppy, Sparkles, who recently joined the Cynthia Bloom studio team. We had two Australian Shepherd dogs, Tango and Che. Because Aussies are a very active working breed, I felt they needed to stay busy. Besides being studio dogs, I trained them for agility competition, running obstacle courses, and participating in trial events. Wanting to give back to the community, I also trained both to become therapy dogs at the Dell Children’s Medical Center.

When Che passed away this spring, we knew we had to get another Aussie friend for Tango. That’s when Sparkles (aka Sparky) came into our life. 

Long story short, I found a beautiful Aussie puppy on an out-of-town Craigslist ad. I called the owner in Corpus Christi, and he sent me a video of the pup’s father riding a skateboard. Smart! The answer was immediately “YES.” I then asked if he had named the seven-week-old puppy. Laughing apologetically, he said, “Before I realized he was a boy, I named him Sparkles.” I replied, “How appropriate is that?!? I have a jewelry design company, and my jewelry is all about the SPARKLE!”

Sparkles always manages to get into mischief in my jewelry studio. In his impetuous puppiness, Sparky has scattered so many mouthfuls of color postcards that I’ve considered giving him his own street corner on Congress Avenue to promote my line. Because he is constantly getting into my business, I decided a more practical solution was to give him his own blog, “Sparky’s Digest.” Stay tuned for more Sparky antics.

What a great story! I’ve had the privilege of meeting Sparkles and I can’t wait to see him grow up alongside Tango. You give so much to the Austin community with your gorgeous jewelry and therapy dogs. Thank you Cynthia for taking the time to share your story with our readers and the exciting news of your NEW ONLINE STORE!

Congratulations! I know some of my friends and colleagues will be splurging this holiday season not just for gifts, but for themselves.  I treasure my Cynthia Bloom Collectible Jewelry!

Till next time friends, where we see the inspiring furniture designs of two powerful women at Highpoint Market, please be sure to check out Cynthia Bloom Collectible Jewelry’s NEW ONLINE STORE.  XO PG

NOTE: This blog post is sponsored by Cynthia Bloom. All images are by Cynthia Bloom; opinions my own.