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Jewelry becomes art at Main Street Goldworks
story by JEANINE GORE
photos by ELENA FAVA EMERSON
REVIEW MAGAZINE MAY 2004
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t's an interesting question: Is jewelry a form of artwork? Take
a few steps into Main Street Goldworks and the answer
becomes as crystal clear as any of the sparkly diamonds
tucked inside. It’s a loud, resounding, extremely eye-catching
“yes.”
And the jewelry store overflows with the intricate, handcrafted,
one-of-a-kind pieces to prove it. Some of the most breathtaking ones
are even signed, just like artwork, said Patti Warshauer, who owns
and manages the store along with her husband, Jay.
Looking around for an example, Patti leaned under the glass counter and pulled out a stunning one-inch-wide Spanish brooch. The piece was fastened to a black silk cord for use as a necklace and seemed like it was made of tiny slices of stained glass. Like a queen on a tiny glass throne, a stately pearl rested in its center surrounded by tiny rubies.
The beauty was modeled after jewelry worn by women at the turn of the century.
“It’s one of my all time favorites,” she confessed, almost reverently placing the piece back on its pedestal. “Like any artwork, this is as good as it gets.”
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Josh Warshauer works with a piece of jewelry while his father, Jay, offers a few helpful tips. |
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And then she demonstrated one of the reasons why. When held up to the afternoon sunlight, the $2,275 brooch does something magical.
The light sets it afire with rich emerald and cobalt-blue tones. The stained-glass effect is created through a painstaking process involving 20 layers of enamel. Each layer is applied by a steady-handed (and remarkably patient) family from Spain.
“This is one of those (jewelry) lines where the grandmother puts on her special touches in the kitchen,” Patti said. “Very special.”
And if that’s not art, who knows what is.
There are, of course, hundreds of other gorgeous and less expensive pieces in the store, from rings engraved so intricately the bands seem to be inlaid with diamonds, to handcrafted gold bracelets to silver necklaces bearing adorable moon-shaped, diamond-studded pendants.
That last creation Patti designed herself with the help of her husband and son who fashioned the idea into shiny reality. Aside from everything under the glass, there are even more — many, many more — pieces which most customers never see.
That’s because much of the Warshauers’ work is custom, meaning they are created to fit people’s individual specifications.
Once complete, the jewelry leaves the store on the finger or around the wrist or in a velvety black box unbeknownst to the rest of the universe.
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Patti Warshauer carefully places one of her prized pieces back into a display case while her son, Jesse, stands by with a big smile on his face and another beautiful piece of jewelry in his hand. |
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“Most of what we do is custom,” said Josh Warshauer, the couple’s 23-year-old son, who’s been involved in the family business since before he could even see over the counter.
Now, after all these years, he knows quite a bit about the art of jewelry-making.
“I’ve been in and out of the store since I was a little kid, so a lot of it you just pick up,” he said.
And just like his mother and father, Josh has flown to prestigious seminars to learn about the industry, to hone his craft and help the family business stay on the cutting edge of style and technique.
On his wrist is a tribute to his talents. It’s a chain-link gold bracelet Josh designed and created himself. The job involved two weeks of hammering and shaping the metal by hand.
Handcrafting the pieces is by far the best method to create fine, one-of-a-kind pieces.
“There’s certain things that need to be done by hand to give it that little extra touch,” he said.
And, when it comes to creating beautiful art, those little extra artistic touches are what the family specializes in.
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Main Street Goldworks has been combining craftsmanship and creativity with old-fashioned customer service since 1987. This family-owned business is located on the beautiful San Mateo County coastside in downtown Half Moon Bay. Jay and Patti Warshauer and their sons, Josh and Jesse, have enjoyed sharing many special occasions with their customers from weddings to anniversaries to the birth and growth of children. This family of jewelers are professionally trained and have received credentials from the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
