Q: What’s the history of your jewelry brand?
A: Steven Royce Designs (SRD) has been a premier manufacturer of fine colored stone jewelry since 1987. Starting originally as a one man operation, SRD has grown into a large operation, servicing customers all around the world.
2) Tell me about your biggest accomplishment of 2015.
A: SRD’s biggest accomplishment of 2015 was helping popularize my personal favorite gemstone, Alexandrite. Through numerous trade shows and industry advertising, we’ve awakened the jewelry industry to one of the more special and rare gemstones in the world. Due to its rarity, Alexandrite is not for an everyday consumer. However, gem stone collectors have been jumping at the chance to own of these gems.
Q: What is new for your brand in 2016?
A: In 2016, SRD plans to add a new twist into all our jewelry. We’re featuring new designs with yellow diamond accents and two-tone gold. We’re also debuting a new collection of two-stone ring.
Q: Who/What is your biggest inspiration and why?
A: My biggest inspiration in my father, Steven, who started this company. He knew nothing about jewelry when he started. But he proved that hard work and dedication can get you anywhere. Today, he’s still one of the hardest working people I know and he shows no signs of slowing down.
Q: What upcoming project are you most excited about?
A: There’s no specific project that I’m looking forward to other than the continued growth of our Alexnadrite campaign. That’s my passion right now.
Q: Do you see any upcoming trends you’re excited about?
A: I’m very excited about the upcoming color trended set by Pantone. Their colors for 2016 are Rose Quartz and Serenity. The Rose Quartz excites me because I mount a lot of my jewelry in rose gold and two of our most popular colored stones are pink sapphires and rubies. The Serenity excites me even more because this company was built on sales in tanzanite throughout the mid 90’s and 2000’s. To top it all off, tanzanite jewelry on rose gold is a spectacular combination and that covers both of this years colors.
Q: What have been some challenges you have had to overcome in the past?
A: The biggest challenge I’ve had over the past few years is managing to maintain a busy business travel schedule and spending enough time with my wife and new born son. I’m a workaholic and I love what I do. But I love my family more. So it’s extremely important to me to be the hardest working person I can be without sacrificing time with my wife and son.
Q: How do you define luxury?
A: There’s many ways to define luxury. But luxury in my life is really all about quality. When we’re talking about jewelry, I think a luxurious piece would really have to not only dazzle me, but I’d have to be confident in knowing that jewelry is built to the highest standards. That’s what SRD represents. Whether I’m selling a $500 pinky ring or a $100,000 necklace, I know that the particular item is made as good as anybody can make it. The stone quality is exceptional, the gold weight is appropriate, and the workmanship is second to none.
Q: How do you approach a new collection? Where do your ideas evolve from?
A: When approaching a new collection, I take a few things into consideration. The Pantone color of the year is always important. It definitely helps guide me in deciding which stones and gold colors I’ll use most. But design ideas just pop into my head over time. I’d love to say that i sit there for weeks on end to figure out something new and special, but the truth is that my mind is always working on new ideas. Sometimes I get inspiration from existing concepts in my own collections and sometimes I just dream up ideas in my sleep. But I’m always working on improving old ideas and creating new ones.
Q: What do you do in your free time?
A: In my free time, I like to get comfy on my couch and catch up on my television shows. Whether it’s the latest season of Homeland or just a rerun of Seinfeld, I’ll always find something to entertain me and give my mind and body a rest.
Web: www.stevenroyce.com
VIP Contact: Jason Rahimi
Tel: 516-466-0700
Email: jason@stevenroyce.com