Introducing Elizabeth Locke, founder and designer of Elizabeth Locke Jewelry. She’s an inspiration and we adore her eye for finding and creating the most immaculate jewelry pieces. Classic, luminous, and worldly… A little fun fact about darling Elizabeth, she owns this stunning “gem” in Beaufort, SC. You may recognize it; it was the backdrop of one of our favorite photo shoots.
1. When you were little what did you want to be when you grew up?
“I didn’t want to grow up—ever!! And I didn’t want to be anything. I was happy and completely unmotivated!”
“I am supremely fortunate because I have a job that is never boring. I design and produce handmade jewelry that is sold all over the US. I am responsible for buying all of the stones and antique elements that we use as well as designing each piece that is handmade by the goldsmiths who work exclusively for us. On a daily basis I am dealing with people in Thailand, Germany, Italy and India and I travel for almost seven months each year. And I meet fantastically interesting people along the way, people I would never meet if I had a more conventional life.”
“Casual and passive I would say. I had no say in what I wore at all! My mother picked out all of my clothes and she favored smocked dresses. For everyday wear I had a lot of pinwale corduroy overalls that I wore over Peter Pan collared blouses. I was completely uninterested in clothes when I was little; I endured being dressed daily so that I could go outside and collect insects and minerals. No tutus for me!!”
4. Was there an item or accessory you recall disliking but were forced to wear?
“Every year my mother would take me to Best & Co. and buy me a navy blue coat with a matching bonnet that tied under the chin. Now that outfit I truly HATED!!! In the winter there were also matching leggings which were not the stretchy things people think of today but were scratchy navy blue wool and zipped up from the ankle to the waist under the smocked dress to keep you warm. I fought like a feral cat when I saw them coming out for the weekly visit to my grandmother. It has basically taken me a lifetime to overcome my dislike of navy blue! I know that every time I buy anything that’s navy my mother is smiling in Heaven and saying “Good choice! I was right!””
“Millicent Rogers!! She lived for fashion and had various wonderful phases in her life. She was inventive and loved jewelry and was incredibly photogenic. She also went through a Tyrolean phase when she was married to an Austrian count. I love Austrian clothes as does my husband. The Austrians make the most adorable baby clothes in the world. Who wouldn’t be charmed by tiny little dirndls and kerchiefs and lederhosen?”