PURE GEMS
Glenn and Sharyn Bradford bring their passions for jewelry, spirituality, art and heirlooms to Southampton. BY SHANNON ADDUCCI • PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER CLARKE
jewelry and watches, For Glenn and Sharyn including signed pieces Bradford, the husbandfrom Van Cleef & Arpels, and-wife duo behind Cartier, Rolex and Patek Glenn Bradford Fine Philippe, as well as an Jewelry, the allure of eclectic mix of the gemstones and precious Bradfords’ own collecmetals is just the starttions, which include ing point of an inspired green gold, white gold, collaboration between and sterling-and-diajeweler and client. mond Buddha charms, “At heart, we are stothe World Gold Council rytellers, creating jewelry award-winning Diamond with deeper meaning,” Dust collection (feasays Glenn Bradford, turing a dash of rough who has worked with natural diamonds enSharyn, a visual artist, cased in locket-shaped since the duo met in the pendants of 18kt green ’90s, when Glenn was or white gold, or anti-tarrunning his own watch nish sterling silver), and brand, selling to Saks, one-of-a-kind cocktail Bergdorf Goodman and The Bradfords rings with emeralds, Neiman Marcus (which pose in their artful Southampton shop. diamonds, ruby and commissioned his first sapphires, among other line of jewelry) and gems. “We have stones that have such a Sharyn worked as a still-life stylist in the city. unique personality we carved sculptural de“When Sharyn and I got engaged, I signs around them,” says Glenn, designed her ring, called the Sharyn,” says The same finely attuned attention to soulful Glenn of the custom 18K white-gold stunner, details is given to clients who bring Glenn col“and two years later we launched our enlections of heirlooms and their own long-ungagement and bridal collections. I’m a lifeworn pieces to be refreshed, or reimagined inspired designer.” into new designs. One client, Rene, inherited Since 2001, the Bradfords have been a 10-carat marquise-shaped diamond and a running their award-winning jewelry brand Van Cleef & Arpels necklace with 65 sections out of their Long Island shop (part jewelry broken (and over 600 missing and loose diasalon, part art gallery), located first in Roslyn Award-winning 18-carat white monds). Bradford reimagined the diamond and then in Port Washington. They added gold Diamond Dust detachable and performed microsurgery on the necklace a second year-round shop last summer on charm, with rough white to restore it to its original condition. Jobs Lane in Southampton, a location that diamond brilliants and pavé white diamond brilliants on a “I often times will cry with a client,” Glenn recalls their own history: “We met at a share platinum diamond briolette says. “It can be emotional, but it’s uplifting.” house in Southampton,” explains Sharyn. necklace, with 18-carat white (Emblematic of this transformational process, The couple, who have returned to the gold pavé diamond lotus flower and Budda of the butterfly B is the Bradfords’ logo, created Hamptons every summer, designed the Wisdom detachable charms. by Sharyn and signifying renewal.) “We can Southampton space, with hand-painted spend hours just looking at the pieces and measuring the blue-and-white striped walls decorated with Sharyn’s stones. The process can take months,” explains Glenn. “I color-rich paintings. “Her canvases give off an energy, a can’t design for someone without their input; it’s a givecreative vibe,” says Glenn. “It’s integral to my own work.” and-take with each client, organic and authentic.” Both boutiques contain a curated collection of estate 130