Jewelry designer inspired by antiquity
Pamela Card Jewelry’s eye-catching wearable art reflects forms, craft and artistry of the ancient world
If you haven’t already heard of Pamela Card Jewelry, it’s safe to say you’ve been missing out.
The Vancouver-based jewelry brand offers cool-girl (or guy!) medallion accessories that merge eye-catching accessories with an antique, tied-to-the-past feel.
We caught up with the brand’s designer/owner — Pamela Card — to chat inspiration, design and what makes her pieces different from the rest. Here’s what she had to say.
QWhen and why did you start Pamela Card Jewelry?
ATwo years ago, while working in fashion in Montreal, I started to feel like I needed a bigger creative output so I decided to focus all my energy on jewelry design and move to Istanbul. Turkey was where my love of jewelry as an art form began. I was completely enthralled by the depth of history preserved within each town, encased in each museum and displayed at each palace.
How would you describe the collections?
My collections became an avowal of love for the beauty and forms of jewelry at a time period that bridges between Roman art, Byzantine art and Ottoman art.
How, if at all, has it changed since you first started the brand?
From the beginning, my collections have always derived from antiquity, in form, in concept and in creation.
What inspires your designs?
Historical findings while travelling. Late Antiquity and my most recent collection Ephesus, focus on the depiction of jewelry with heightened symbolic meaning. As in ancient times, I focus on designing jewelry not simply as adornment, but as symbols of faith, as amulets of protection and as rituals of society. I want to create pieces that reintroduce elements of ancient craft, that don’t focus solely on perfection but on detail and artistry.
Who is your target customer?
I believe the woman who wears Pamela Card Jewelry is someone who exudes feminine charm and timeless elegance. She appreciates art and travel above all, and uses jewelry as a means of personal expression.
Where are you designed/made? products
I design and produce all my pieces by hand in my Vancouver studio using the historic techniques of lost wax casting and hand forging. Having a truly hands-on work experience is so rare these days and I feel like it gives me total control over the quality of work produced. I believe working this way helps to keep your designs timeless and highly prized.
Do you have a bestselling piece, and if so, which one and what makes it so popular?
My most coveted piece is the Library of Celsus Necklace in 24-karat gold plating. Inspired by the Phaistos Disc of the late Minoan Bronze Age, this hand-carved coin pendant is designed with roped edges and is covered on both sides with a spiral of stamped symbols. Symbols which remain disputed by archaeologists to this day making the disc one of the most remarkable mysteries of archeology.
What is the price range for your pieces?
The pieces range from $150 -$400. Where can folks check them out?
We currently sell at two locations in Vancouver, Rebecca Bree and Woo To See You. We also display our pieces at the Audain Museum in Whistler and Bernstein & Gold in Victoria. In addition, we also have stockists in Arizona, Texas and New York, as well as in Australia and in Spain. Of course, you can always find the full collections on my website at pamelacardjewelry.com.