BEYOND THE EVERYDAY

BEYOND THE EVERYDAY

I

t would be the rare person who wakes up in the morning and carelessly throws on jewelry. Most of us are quite the opposite. Though we might dress in a hurry, the earrings we pair with a blouse or the sparkling ring we slip on is always placed with fastidious care. This is because jewelry transcends the everyday; it’s an ornament, a statement of personal aesthetic.

Valerie Fairchild understands the value inherent in a fine piece of jewelry, and thus takes pride in the high level with

which she creates that special metal statement. Founded in 1976, Fairchild and Co. has become a destination for fine handmade jewelry.

Fairchild is a trained goldsmith who, in the classical way, still hand draws her designs, which are then transformed into beautiful pieces of jewelry evoking nature, mythology, ancient cultures, science, travel and astrology. In addition to her custom-made work, she does insurance appraisals and repairs. Her store includes a full studio where she manufacturers her creatures on-site.

“There are very few of us left in town who actually make the jewelry on the premises, as opposed to designing it and then having it manufactured elsewhere,” Fairchild explains. “I really like what I do, and I’m probably going to die doing this. I enjoy expanding my creative juices; I love exploring new feelings expressed in metal and stone. That’s one of the reasons that drives me to keep getting better.”

After an apprenticeship in 1975 with a diamond setter in Portland, Oregon, Fairchild moved to Santa Fe, where she

began her wholesale company doing special orders and repairs to the trade. Of that time, she recalls, “I never let my pride get between me and a job. I worked seven days a week for the first seven years I was in business.”

Oftentimes people come to Fairchild with a ring she designed for their mother or even grandmother. “I’m now doing jewelry for the third generation of clients.

Styles change,” she explains. “We are constantly working with people who have antiques who want to modernize the look or restore the antique settings.”

“One of the most important things you can do when you’re making a custom piece of jewelry is to listen to what the client’s needs are so you can correctly interpret what it is they’d like to have,” Fairchild describes. “Sometimes the

client will come in and say, ‘I don’t know what I want.’ When that happens, I show them the several different styles I work in — any style, including classic, antique, modern bold or delicate. And I’m creating lots of new designs in micro-mosaic inlaid stones.”

Her many years practicing her craft and listening to the needs of her clients have paid off; her clients who shop internationally tell her she’s equal to any of the significant jewelers working around the world. Under Fairchild’s skilled eye, every exquisite piece she delivers is a work of art its wearer will cherish forever.

Fairchild and Co. 110 W. San Francisco St. 505.984.2039 Fairchildjewelry.com fairchildjewelry@aol.com

ABOVE Valerie Fairchild. Photos By Carolyn Wright