Hillcrest Designer Jewelry
Fresh, chic, trendy, unique. If that's the kind of jewelry you love, do yourself a favor and stop by John Eric Coleman's Hillcrest Designer Jewelry.
Mr. Coleman, who opened his shop the last half of April at 3000 Kavanaugh Blvd., in Hillcrest, makes exquisite pendants, bracelets, rings and earrings that embody his long-standing love of stones, gems and metals.
In addition to the custom pieces, Eric offers diamonds, traditional wedding sets, appraisals and repairs.
"I can beat anybody's price on diamonds," he said.
Eric worked as a diamond broker for a number of years in Texas and was graduated from the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology in Paris with degrees in gemology and jewelry technology.
Eric, who lives in Little Rock with his wife, Catherine, and son, Cross, fell in love with stones when he was a child.
"When I was a kid, it started off on the porch where I was taking rocks and cracking them open."
There was treasure there. And then one Christmas, he received a rock tumbler. "It came with a set of stuff to make jewelry."
That was fun, but what he really wanted to do was to be a geologist. While other kids were getting into dinosaurs, video ga
mes, and Dungeons and Dragons, Eric was fascinated with minerals, rocks and different kinds of gem stones from around the world.When he was 22, he began making jewelry in a serious way when he worked in South Arkansas. "I was working for an older gentleman as an apprentice for about three years. We specialized in hand fabricating. We also did wax carving."
Now Eric works in platinum, gold, silver and copper. His custom creations, which he calls his "therapy jewelry," range from $100 to $5,000.
But what he really wants to do is be your personal jeweler. He said he's "old school," and can take care of an individual's needs from creating to re-setting and repairing. He works with traditional pieces and can accommodate you, from a sweet sixteen necklace to a diamond/platinum combo for your 70th anniversary.
The feel of the shop is like a boutique in an upscale tourist area. In fact, he has sold his jewelry in different galleries in Hot Springs. Look in the trays of loose stones in the Hillcrest shop and enjoy the wow factor of nature's artistry. Lots of nice quartz, such as clear stones shot through with golden fibers. These one-of-a-kind pieces may be incorporated into your own designs.
And like every other jewelry shop owner in the world, Eric is buying gold and silver. At $1,500 an ounce at this writing, now is a good time to get rid of those broken or odd gold chains or pieces you'll never wear again.
Go by and welcome Eric to the neighborhood and watch for his grand opening this month. For additional information, call him at 246-3655.
johnericcolemanjewelrydesign.com
By Bobbi Nesbitt
