THE GEM WHISPERER
As he celebrates turning 70, DC jewelry icon Jorge Adeler continues to look forward, and selects his favorite pieces for spring.
Like a charismatic politician, there’s something entrancing in the eloquent way Jorge Adeler discusses gems. The 70-year-old husband, father (his business partners are his daughters, Wendy and Valentina), and grandfather compares gems first to idyllic sunsets (free yet invaluable), then to women (each unique in her own way). He calls precious stones works of both art and nature and suggests they’re a metaphor for life (know what you want, work hard at it, and have faith that a boring rock may hide something fantastic).
“Faith, art, music, and jewelry—these are the things that touch our souls,” says Adeler. After immigrating to the US from Argentina, he began handcrafting paperweights and bookends from freshly mined gems, before adding one-ofa-kind jewelry and opening Adeler Jewelers in 1975. His specialty is creating pieces that reflect the wearer on a deeply personal level.
Today, Adeler continues to perfect his art, with over 500 custom pieces each year and a client list that includes Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, and the elite of DC and Hollywood. At least once a year, he travels to the mines to meet with the miners and buy raw gems, brings them back to his shop, and turns mere stones into jewelry worthy of royalty. “To be able to interpret a gem,” Adeler says, “you have to know where they come from.” 772 Walker Road, Great Falls, 703-7594076; adelerjewelers.com