observed HOT STUFF & THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT HAPPEN
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LOVES HEAVY METAL: Charles Albert
ON THE ROCKS BUSINESS
Haven’t heard of Lighthouse Point jewelry designer Charles Albert yet? Performers Cee Lo Green, Ke$ha and Mya have—and they’re big fans. Albert, 45, is renowned among the celebrity set for his chunky hand-crafted necklaces, rings and cuffs made with fine silver and more than 100 types of semi-precious stones gathered from around the world. The self-taught designer and president of Charles Albert Inc. first became interested in fossils and minerals as a boy growing up in Pennsylvania, where he’d collect rocks in his grandmother’s back yard. After joining the Army reserves and graduating from the University of Scranton with a bachelor’s degree in management, his penchant for rock collecting beckoned once again and in 1990 he parlayed his passion into a costume jewelry business with just “$60 and a dream,” he says. Albert, who now runs the company with his wife, Beth, eventually transitioned to fine silver and his newest line, Alchemia, features a mix of metals that look like gold. Pieces sell for between $29 and $600. “It’s affordable to everyone,” says Albert, “but it looks like a million bucks.” Find his jewelry at charlesalbert.com. – Samantha Shavell
THE BUZZ BY FELICIA S. LEVINE
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GOT A TIP? E-MAIL THE EDITOR AT FELICIA@BOCARATONOBSERVER.COM
SEPTEMBER 2011
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