It is with a heavy heart that I learnt of the sudden death of designer Scott Kay last week. As friends and family came together to lay him to rest, it was obvious that a very special being had left us. I feel blessed to have been able to work with this man for over 20 years. A man who managed to be an amazing artist and also very savvy in business. A perfectionist and a risk taker. He was also a dear and loyal friend who was always very supportive of women in leading positions. As the company was celebrating its 30th Anniversary, we sat down with Scott himself for an exclusive and sadly ultimate interview which will also be featured in our Holiday issue.
When did you realize you wanted to become a jewelry designer and why?
I started to realize my creative desires when I was in high school. Wood shop, metal shop and cooking were the things I started to enjoy. Between all of these different types of artistic expressions is when shaping things into different forms started to become apparent. Working in wood to me has its limitation to a degree, jewelry is endless and timeless.
Are there any pieces worn by your mother or men and women in your life that became iconic to you?
Yes, but in a much different way than I believe your question was asked. I had to make a design to get accepted to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). So I made a Cobra ring. This ring holds tremendous meaning to me because it was affirmation of being worthy of attending a school of all top-level young designers. This ring won top honors for most creative design of the entire school. My Mom had various health problems and I lived alone with her and took care of her. This ring, the first ring I ever made, meant and means everything in the world to me. My Mom passed at 54 years of age suddenly and I was crushed. At her funeral I was wearing this ring and I took it off and laid it on her chest so the most precious thing that I owned would be forever with her. I have the mold to this ring marked R1A. I will never reproduce this ring. I have asked to be buried with this mold of ring R1A to go with me when it is my time.
Art is a major part of your life. As an artist and a collector. Tell us more about Scott Kay, the Collector.
Yes, I am an avid collector of the awe, unique and outstanding of anything. I love to crawl through, over and around piles of scrap and dismantled buildings in salvage yards. I love going into caves, jungles and nasty places. I love the old, historical times and cultures. I have a strong desire for items that were used in battle and armor. Things that are hand sculpted or carved. I try to collect things that Warren Buffet and Richard Branson cannot buy. I have a brick from the original Kremlin wall. Don’t ask how I got it, but I wanted it. I have a sword made from a human femur bone. It has to be close to a thousand years old. I have a six-foot stalactite and a four-foot stalagmite. I found them in a nasty smelly dungeon. A helmet from the early Edo period with the slash crack from a Samurai sword. Basically I love the DNA of the world and if it moves me, I cherish it.
What are your favorite pieces in your art collection?
My favorite items are the ones that represent heroes, warriors, valor and courage. I am a big collector of Samurai, American Indian and U.S. soldiers art. I honor these people. I have tremendous respect for their ethos, willing to die for their beliefs, to protect their people and to do this with honor. The Samurai is very near and dear to me because of how much these warriors were misunderstood. I love talking about them and their history for who they truly are. I have a collection of jewelry called The Samurai.
What would the Scott Kay of today tell the Scott Kay of 30 years ago?
Do what I did. You will be a proud father to your family, you will protect the ones you love, you will always stand tall and you will be blessed, for the people that will be around you reflect the person you will become.
When it comes to your bridal line, how would you describe your style?
Delicate and proportionally correct. Balance in an engagement ring is everything. Fine engagement ring designs are supposed to accentuate the center diamond rather than compete with it. You are known in the industry for having pushed boundaries when it came to the use of new metals to design bridal jewelry. First focusing on platinum, then palladium and most recently cobalt.
What is today your favorite metal to work with and why?
Platinum will always be my first choice when it is appropriate. Gold, for when I want to do a form or shape in a color versus a shade. Silver has basically no bounds to the size of things you can do with it because of the balance between density and cost.
Your men jewelry collections are extremely bold and creative. Who is the man who wears your pieces?
I like to design for all types of men. The most fun items are for a fashion forward man as well as a progressive man. I love attitude.
How influential are the women of your life in your work?
Everything and then some. My wife Regina of 28 years, my two daughters, Tiffany 27 and Jordan 24 are all different in their own ways. I find myself a little speechless to put this question into words. I am the person I am today because of them. Crazy, confused, tired, wrong all the time. They bring balance to my life, cause to thrive and push the limits of what the word love means.
It’s engagement season. Though women are more and more involved in the selection of their engagement ring, any last minute tips for their man or partner to produce the most romantic proposal?
Proposing a life together must be done in private. It is not about “how” you propose. It’s about “what you say and how you say it”. If you very carefully select the topics that are so meaningful to her and passionately explain why she should spend the rest of her life with you, and you can find the courage to put aside all the BS for just fifteen minutes or so and show her just how serious you are and how hard you thought about this, she’ll say yes. This is what romance is, commitment and respect. What do I know? I come from two broken homes, my mother was always working, I had no father figure or mentor. I am a Jewish man from Brooklyn, New York, my wife Regina is a Catholic woman from Austria. Yet, I had a lot to say and did a lot of thinking before I proposed. I’ve been married for 28 wonderful years to this woman because we respect each other’s feelings, wants and needs. The odds are you will get divorced, so think hard, and be passionate. This is the most serious and most intimate conversation you should ever have. God Bless. Scott.
Severine Ferrari
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