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What conversation should we have to define this initial effort?

I have an idea: I will dispel a rumor I have heard circulating recently among other jewelers in Southwest Florida.

I refer to the misconception that I no longer create any of the designs at Mark Loren Designs nor participate at the bench in our work studio. The rumor has all the design work, goldsmithing and jewelry repair being done by others in my employ, with my role being to take all of the credit and glory.

Easy for others to say and very far from the truth.

One of the things I am most proud of (besides my wife and daughters) is the professional collaboration that I enjoy with members of my talented staff. In the dictionary the word collaborate means: to work jointly with others, especially in an intellectual endeavor, to achieve a common goal.  Our goal is to offer uncompromising quality in design and craftsmanship while creating and maintaining genuine friendships with our customers.  We strive to make the design experience exciting and memorable for our clients, uniquely tailored to their individual needs.

My natural inclination is to try to do everything myself, but to achieve what we have in terms of industry design awards, longevity, and customer satisfaction while retaining high production numbers, takes more than just me banging away! 

I love nothing more than sitting down at my bench (the same one I’ve used for 40 years) and tackling a difficult tension mounting or setting a large diamond while the client watches over my shoulder. I would enjoy a fair, local competition where my rumor mongers and I can sit and compete in the carving of a one-of-a-kind wax model, investing the model, casting the piece, then hand-finishing the design and setting all of the stones…non-stop…beginning to end! Skills I have been using for more than forty years! Fun for me, probably not so fun for my competitors.

More enjoyable and far more impactful is the collaboration that takes place in our work-studio on a daily basis.  Peter, Sara, Juan, Jim, Royle, Cameron, Jaye J., Debra, Carol and Terri all collaborate with me, and each other, to produce award winning jewelry designs, amazing customer experiences and trustworthy relationships.

My late friend, the famous artist Robert Rauschenberg, said, “Collaborating with other artists, in other disciplines, was like being on the playground at recess…” and to me it still feels that way.