Suz Andreasen has finally arrived. After twenty-six years in the jewelry business she has decided it might be time to “Own it.” And why not? Fashion trends come and go. Yet, in Suz Andreasen’s eyes, good design is what stands the test of time.

All of this is clear to see when you visit her oh-so chic showroom on 48th West 48th right by Rockefellar Center.

In the elegant, fanciful and yet totally glam details of her work, what you will find is a meticulous eye for counterbalance, negative space and most importantly the beauty of marvelous and rare gemstones. If you ask Suz where she finds her inspiration, she will rattle on about The Book of Kells, and then move on to her love of Dorie Nossiter. But eventually, you realize Suz is far more attentive to what’s happening today than she lets on. Somewhere along her seemingly convoluted path, Suz opened her own doorway to innovation with her sketchpad and her colored pencils, to which she remains loyal – sketching each and every design as if it were to be embedded in time.

For Suz Andreasen, it is all about the stone. “If you don’t understand the stone, you don’t understand the work,” she says. “And, if you don’t buy jewelry Made in America, you are nor servicing your own future.”

This could account for her loyal clientele, or following if you will. Arriving at the conclusion that all design is personal, Suz Andreasen likes each customer to be not just pleased with her work, but thrilled enough to put her pieces in their vaults. Still from someone so gregarious and out of the box, Andreasen doesn’t really care about having her name in lights. Her greatest desire is to have people buy jewelry Made In American by jewelers who she considers to be a cut above the rest of the world.

Like the glass slipper, Suz only wants the jewelry to fit the wearer, putting her own spin on the true meaning of couture.

NEW YORK, NY–(Suz Andreasen, Master Jewelery DesignerDecember 11, 2007) – Ask a woman why she buys jewelry and more

than half the time you will be greeted with a coy smile and an answer conveying the importance of diamonds. However, if you ask a lady what jewels they would desire if money were no object, the answer and the name is always the same: Suz Andreasen.

There’s no doubt: Suz Andreasen Couture is a brand with one of a kind creations that women can’t seem to get enough of. They crave it, hunger for it, and there is currently a waiting list to the end for 2008 for her North American Wild Flower series featuring floral earrings and suites of Sapphire Azaleas, Pansies, Black Eyed Susans and Begonias, chocked full of colored gemstones and her famous 22K Gold.

But what makes Suz unique is also that she is infectious, savvy, passionate and just plain fun. When you meet her, her mop of blond hair and the fact that she is not afraid to use the word “dude” immediately strike you. Her passion — not just for jewelry, for everything — is inspiring. This may be the secret to her tremendous success and growing fame. Mention Bono, and she can speak intelligently about music and global poverty. Mention jewelry and she will enlighten you on the intricate methods of her fellow jewelers and candidly talk about how American Designers deserve more attention. She is refreshing because she’s not afraid to promote other designers even though that may mean she loses an opportunity to sell her own jewelry. Her guileless lack of competitive need is evident. She works tirelessly with her Couture Awards to aid other jewelry designers. Yet, she still spends countless hours making intricate works of art sought after by today’s most prominent institutions and private collectors.

“I just don’t see the point in trying to make people buy my jewelry over other people’s jewelry. Where’s the fiscal intelligence in that? I also don’t believe in the ‘craft movement,’” she remarks at the Pratt Mansion during the Couture Awards Gala. “To me, the name of the game is to change the jewelry market and make life better for everyone. In order to do that, we jewelry designers need to say goodbye to the word ‘craft’ and say hello to the word ‘art.’”

Indeed, Suz has done just that. Her award Gala published a book of 40 of America’s top designers, entitled “American Couture Jewelry.” She also succeeded in recruiting 40 corporate sponsors from all over the United States to give funds, goods and promotion to American Jewelry Designers.

The enthusiasm and heart of Suz Andreasen is what makes her jewelry so beautiful. She is a person who cares about every last detail of everything she does. Viewing her work is the same as seeing her mesmerizing smile. Suz’s Jewels and Suz the woman are one and the same: intoxicating substance and beauty, both inside and out.

Tuesday October 9, 2007

New York, New York

In today’s fast paced world of quick make-overs, it is refreshing to see that someone has the stick-to-it-ive-ness to laud what is bedrock. The Couture Jewelry Award seems to be doing just that with forty-four of America’s top jewelry designers from over twenty different states.

Make no mistake:The Coutue Jewelry Award and Sale is a big event. The event, which was founded by Suz Andreasen and is sponsored by America’s leading supplier for fine jewelry, Hoover and Strong, is scheduled on December 8th from 11AM – 9 PM is at the Pratt Mansion in New York City, at 1027 Fifth avenue, directly across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The list reads like a who’s who in American Jewelry design, including:

Debra Adelson, Jeffrey Appling, Belle Barer, Michael Boyd, Jennifer Chin, Valerie Coulson, Deborrah Daher. Janine DeCresenzo, Devon Driscoll, Erica Druin, Amanda Elizabeth, Alexandra Forsythe, Joanna Gollberg, Jonathan Greenfield, Elizabeth & Jack Gualtieri, Kristin Hanson, Alexandra Hart, Marianne Hunter, Jill Hurant, Cassandra Jackson, Lauren Jackson, Jungwhon Joo, Martin Key, Roanne Kolvenbach, Suzy Landa, Stephen LeBlanc, Kathleen Lynagh House, Amy Roper Lyons, Patricia Madeja, Ayesha Mayadas, Sandra McEwen, Dana Melnick, Keiko Mita, Karen Mitchell, E. M. Moore, Mona Mozeico, Etienne Perret, Pat Pruitt, Todd Reed, Deborah Rice, Hana Schoonveld, Andrea Shin, Diana Widman and Karin Worden

The National profile and diversity of the artists cannot be understated. Heralding from a wide range of different states, the artists come from unique corners of America including: New York, Jew Jersey, California, Pennsylvania, Maine, New Mexico, Oregon, Colorado, Massachusetts, Missouri, Maryland, Connecticut and North Carolina.

Juried by a prestigious panel of judges including Ulysses Grant Dietz, Ursula Neuman and Judith Price, the selection stands out like no other juried prize yet. But the real winner here is the event that is set to coordinate a sale of the best jewelry in America in the heart of New York City in the middle of the holiday shopping season. If you are a jewelry collector, or aficionado, this is a must attend event.

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Suz Andreasen, well known for ownership of her first brand Women Want Jewelry, (womenwantjewerlry.com) and her dazzling high end gems featuring rare and unique stones has launched her own signature line and website Suz Andreasen American Couture Jewelry Designer.

While Andreasen’s work can be found at Saks and on Amazon.com, this new collection – designed and created by the hands of Suz Andreasen can only be rivaled by the likes of JAR or Cartier. Andreasen’s work is coveted by some of today’s top celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton and HRH Princess Mathilda of Belgium. Andreasen ought to know how ingenuity happens – growing up with an inventor father, she learned at a young age how to set herself apart from the crowd. “I always loved creating things that were beyond imagination,” she says sitting in her jewelry studio on Manhattan’s upper west side. “When I was doing the wedding of the Ambassador to New Zealand, I had to use their colors of blue and white. So, I used all Sapphires and Pearls. It was outrageous but also drop dead beautiful!”

Suz Andreasen was born in Iowa in 1964, the fourth generation in a family of inventors and scientists tracing back to 1890. Andreasen began her interest in metalsmithing alongside her father, the Late George Andreasen, noted for his invention of memory wire. Suz studied metalsmithing for many years before receiving recognition among private collectors and shows at galleries, expositions and institutions throughout the United States. Her current work is expressionist in both form and content. Andreasen constructs her work 22 Karat gold using traditional milling and fabricating techniques. She uses patterning and alloy stains to contrast areas of intense gold with vibrant placement of gemstones.

Andreasen was also recently inducted in the American Craft Council’s prestigious Mentor Program and will be exhibiting at the Craft council show in February in Baltimore Maryland. Her high carat gold, (she works only in 22k for her couture collection) is her own special patent blend and the shimmering color combined with rare gemstones make Hollywood insiders claim her as their best kept secret.