We're All Business

We're all business...Ruby's Whim was featured in the Orange County Business Journal on Monday, December 1st. We're thrilled that the media has taken an interest in our jewelry.

During the interview with OCBJ, I was asked about how we named our company and the significance of the name. That question resonated with me for several days, so I thought the blog would be a great place to share the Ruby story. Here's how it all began...

From a very early age, Erin Cone expressed her creativity in a variety of mediums. Whether it was designing and sewing doll clothes or custom designing hand-made decorations for a friend’s party, she brought vision and passion to every project. Erin cultivated a knack for turning ordinary scraps and miscellaneous found objects into extraordinary works of art.

Eight years ago, Erin took a string of pearls, a family heirloom, to be restrung by a reputable jeweler. Upon receiving her necklace back, she realized some of her real pearls were replaced with inferior pearls. As a long time lover of pearls, Erin decided to learn the craft of jewelry making, so she could take things into her own hands. Erin’s jewelry took on a life of its own as friends started collecting her pieces, and their friends, in turn, became collectors too. Her beautiful pieces created with exemplary detail and craftsmanship spoke for themselves, and Erin quickly became known throughout Orange County and Los Angeles for her handpicked and handcrafted specialty pieces.

During a trip to Paris three years ago, Erin was approached while shopping for inspiration pieces in Paris's antique district by a sophisticated and stylish woman named Ruby. Erin was wearing a new necklace with hand made mink fur beads she had recently designed and crafted, and Ruby was intrigued. Ruby told a story to Erin of how she had been orphaned as a child and her aunt, who had recently passed, had a mink stole to the exact color of the fur beads on Erin's neck. The necklace brought back so many memories of Ruby’s beloved aunt who raised her and of her childhood. Touched by the woman's story, Erin insisted Ruby take the necklace and she graciously accepted. Ruby and Erin shared a cup of coffee near the spot where they had been shopping, and Ruby told her great stories of world travel and exploration, and her love for antiques and jewelry. Intrigued by Erin’s amazing and one of a kind jewelry pieces, they exchanged addresses and Ruby promised to keep in touch. Months later, Erin received a package of treasures to her California home. The packages still arrive regularly from exotic locations in Europe, Asia and South America and are filled with unique items like Venetian glass beads and vintage mother of pearl poker chips from the early 20th century. Always included is a small note from Ruby that says "sent with inspiration and love...create something beautiful.”

And that, my friends, is the story of Ruby's Whim. Have a wonderful week.