Todd Reed is a somewhat recent success story in the jewelry industry. Todd’s passion for raw diamonds brought to the bridal category an array of uniquely alternative pieces. When we say unique, we really mean it. Each stone is one of a kind. Thanks to Todd and his team for taking the time to put together this exclusive interview with our EIC Severine Ferrari
Q: At which point in your career as a jewelry designer did you start designing bridal pieces? How did it come about?
Early on I didn’t want to define specific pieces as bridal or not – I designed pieces that clients were purchasing as bridal. Since then I’ve come to appreciate the standard diamond solitaire ring – it’s a symbol of consistency. When you think about marriage you want to think of strength, a quality of trust, a quality of endurance, a quality of ease – all of these qualities have to be consistent. The ring is supposed to be a symbol of the marriage or the connection between the two people. The purpose of a solitaire is to symbolize the simplicity and the strength of the marriage. As long as people are getting married – whether alternative or not – there will still be solitaire rings and traditional eternity bands.
Q: Your bridal collection, because of the use of raw diamonds and innovative settings is considered alternative. Who are the couples that identify strongly to the Todd Reed brand when getting engaged and married?
Many couples identify with my designs because they are completely one-of-a-kind – no one will have a ring just like theirs. Some love the sustainability aspect – they want a meaning past the object and price, others just like the look. It really depends on the couple – but often a person is drawn to a specific ring whether it be my designs or other – the person has a very strong connection to the ring they end up choosing.
Q: Does living in Colorado and working in Boulder have any impact on your design and manufacturing process?
My connection to Colorado is strong. I feel good here and I have an incredible team of people here to work with. As soon as we put our showroom here and really celebrated being in Boulder by having parties and community events, our business felt complete. There’s a great quality of living here and a great pride for Boulder among our employees and I resonate with that emotion. I just love living here. I’m also very proud of our studio and showroom design. A lot of jewelry designers try to hide the process of creation, and we didn’t want to do that.
Q: You always come up with really cool new design ideas. We loved the belt buckles you launched in Vegas. How do you stay so creative?
Thank you! I am very excited about my new men’s designs. I am always sketching in my sketch books providing a constant reservoir of designs that I pull from. Nature is part of my design vocabulary but is not a literal or figurative inspiration. It is the energy, the tones, the shadows, the texture of some quality of nature that inspires my work. It’s not about the object in nature, it is about an essence and energetic connection. I look at something I am inspired by in nature and turn it into an emotion – so I am constantly being inspired by the everyday.
Q: Are you at all interested in couples input in the design of their engagement ring? If so, how do you usually go about such projects?
Bridal pieces aren’t about the designer – more about the couple buying it, so I am definitely open to their input. It’s simple. It has to go with everything. Simplicity, accessibility and enough subtle character to align with different couples – every piece is totally one-of-a-kind. Bridal jewelry is confident and secure. Exquisite, clean, architectural.
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