Testimonials

Gemstones and jewelry are portable and highly valued. We protect the privacy of our clients and appreciate their sharing the sentiments printed below.

A FIRST-TIME MALE CLIENT SHARES HIS EXPERIENCE.

Just about a year after I had asked Cynthia Renée to create an engagement ring, I was reading Seth Godin’s book, Lynchpin. One of his comments about great art and artists made me sit up and say out loud: ‘Hey, that is exactly Cynthia.’ ”

Paraphrasing a bit, here’s what Seth said about great artists: “…they have an intrinsic understanding of the stone in their hands. They can touch and see exactly where the best lines are; they know. The greatest artists do just that. They see and understand the challenges before them, without carrying the baggage of expectations or attachment. …they see the what is possible.”

This is a perfect description of the understanding and insight and art that Cynthia brings to her jewelry…

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“This story actually begins with what I did not want. Wrestling with the colour, cut, clarity and money equation of an artificially inflated diamond industry left me with a choice that might be beautiful but was certainly not exceptional. Specify a cut, an acceptable colour, the amount you can afford, and one’s pain tolerance for inclusions and out pops a diamond from a catalogue that is literally exactly like millions of other diamonds. Where is the reflection of personality, where is the gift of something rare and exceptional, where is the art, in choosing from a catalogue?

Besides, how many times have all of us heard the new-engagement-ring conversation at one of those pre-wedding parties? The bride to be in a crowd of oh-ing and ah-ing women that almost instantaneously cuts to the chase right down to the second decimal: “How many carats?” The men in another corner with a drink in one hand and the other casually in their pocket while expertly comparing the half-understood difference between V VS2 and VS1 and then laughingly, half whisperingly admitting the trade-off of the other C’s for carats because after all, size matters, eh fellas?

Where is the joy of the gift of art in that?

That wasn’t my relationship with Laurina, that wasn’t our story and that certainly wouldn’t work for the symbol of our future together.

Finding Cynthia wasn’t easy. Countless websites, hundreds of downloaded pictures and dozens of phone calls to gem dealers left me pretty cold. But then I saw a small picture of a ring design that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Somewhere online. No caption, no information. About five hours later, I found the woman who designed it.

Laurina and I live in the Caribbean, living and working on the islands of Trinidad and Barbados.
I was marrying a Caribbean woman and wanted a stone that reflected more than light, I wanted it to reflect the best of her, the warmth of the culture that she is from and the uniqueness of our relationship.

I called Cynthia and fumblingly tried to explain who we were what I wanted. But in trying, what came out was a sort of a fumbling, rambling, sailor’s description of the different colours of the shallow Caribbean water over white sand, an attempt at describing the variation and depth of the blue colours you see when you are looking straight down into eighteen thousand feet of calm ocean with the tropical sun directly overhead. And I went on for far, far too long very seriously trying to describe feminine strength and elegance and ring design by comparing the lines on a ’66 Jaguar E Type and a ’55 Ferrari 250 GT.

I must have sounded like a complete idiot. But, somehow, she understood completely.

Before I knew it, she was emailing me photos of a rough cuprian tourmaline that could have been cut from the sea fifty feet off of Barbados on a sunny day. Then I started getting shots of grinding and polishing. Within a couple of weeks, she showed me a her custom mounting that resonated in me, like the sound of a hard downshift into a hairpin on the Col du Petit St Bernard with Matt Monroe playing in the background.

It was one of those ever so rare experiences where you feel like you’ve connected. Cynthia Renée is exactly what Seth Godin described in Lynchpin, an artist that gives the gift of more than is expected and certainly more than is required just because that is what she is all about.

She gave us a lot more than just a stone and mounting. Cynthia took my crazy, ephemeral idea and created a one of a kind gift to me, and in turn a gift to my wife that brought tears and an expression on her face as she opened that ring box that I will treasure forever.”

 

FROM A CLIENT WHO HAS COMMISSIONED A COLLECTION OF UNIQUE GEMS & JEWELS ~

Working with Cynthia over the past fourteen years has been a dream come true. Whether working through collaborative efforts or entrusting her carte blanche to design something for me, she never fails to capture the essence of who I am inside…I look down at my fingers or in the mirror and see jewels that encapsulate my family, my children or a moment in my life. It is a spiritually fulfilling process of creativity and beauty.”

FROM A CLIENT WITH A WORLD-CLASS GEM AND JEWELRY COLLECTION ~

“For the past nineteen years, I have had the fortunate opportunity to work with Cynthia Zava, and through her technical, market and sourcing knowledge have built a considerable collection. With her refined eye, due diligence and insight into my wish list, she is the only dealer I can trust to make buying decisions for me, whether she’s in the highlands of Sri Lanka, a Hong Kong high rise or the Tucson desert. Her “full custom” jewelry design and crafting is graceful, refined and meticulous and she is always upping her skill set. With her experience, wisdom and judgment, she has no equal.”

FROM A HUSBAND WORKING SIGHT UNSEEN OVER THE PHONE ~

“TERRIFIC! — let’s go with the bigger diamond, it sounds perfect. I agree – the handcrafted ring is the only way to go…re: engraving, i would like to write ‘A wish come true…always’ You are the best Cynthia…it sounds great!!! After he received the ring to give to his wife, he wrote, “Looks awesome, Cynthia. You kick butt!”

Then, she wrote, “I love my new ring. I love my “old” ring but the new one represents how the love for my husband has only grown over the last ten years. You and he did a great job. The ring and I both sparkle something fierce!! The paperwork and book were priceless and are dear to my heart. Thanks for being so wonderful at what you do.

FROM A LIBRARIAN WHO GOT QUITE A SURPRISE FROM HER HUSBAND ~

“Much like a schoolgirl, I keep glancing at my ring to assure myself that it’s still on my finger. Guilty Pleasure. That’s the only way to describe the feeling I have wearing this elegant piece of jewelry. It’s time I got used to the idea of abundance, having been so frightened of loss all my life…”

And hey – it does go with everything 🙂

When I first tried it on last night, I thought it was HUGE! ‘It’s so glorious, I’ll have to save this for special occasions.’ I thought. ‘It’s too precious to wear to work.’ I thought. This morning, I reflected on the hard work, sacrifice and love that went into making this ring a reality and decided that I’d wear it every day as a reminder of how fortunate I am to know and love dear Scotty. Plus, it’s just too alive to sit in a box with the lid closed.”

FROM A VERY COSMOPOLITAN COLLECTOR OF COLORED GEMS ~

“I’m sitting in the glorious sun at a friend’s country house about to have lunch, and the Aquamarine is glistening! It reads much “richer” in the setting than as an unset gem. I LOVE It. Be sure to let Clay know that I LOVE it. It won’t be under appreciated.”

FROM A CLIENT’S LETTER TO HER DAD, WHO HELPED HER REMAKE A FAMILY RING THAT HAD BEEN DAMAGED IN A GARBAGE DISPOSAL ~

“Dad, the ring is BEAUTIFUL!! It looks almost exactly like the original ring, except more brilliant as the diamonds are larger and probably better cut. Cynthia did a wonderful job on this piece, and I think you are going to really like it. I can’t wait to show it to you in person. The bridge setting (meant to be suggestive of the Golden Gate) that holds the two larger diamonds is very well-done and sentimental. I absolutely love this ring.

It brings back all the good memories (not the bad, i.e. the run-in with the disposal!). Thank you, thank you, thank you for being interested in remaking this very special ring of Mom’s for me. It is a family treasure once again.”

FROM CLIENTS WHO WORKED LONG-DISTANCE AND ARE SEEING THEIR JEWELRY FOR THE FIRST TIME ~

“I just received a ring Cynthia Renée created for me and it is absolutely beautiful! I gave her a ring that I got as a teenager and asked her to reset the tourmaline and two little diamonds. I could not be happier with the result and heartily recommend Cynthia Renée’s work.”

“…your creations are heavenly!  I know you gave me a helluva deal on the gem! You rock, girl!  I’m positive we will do more business in the future.  I’m so fortunate to know you!”

“Back from Nantucket – sailed a lot and loved it. Thinking of you and how much I love your love potions you have made for me!  Love, CC”

“…thank you for my new ring! It is BY FAR the most comfortable and gorgeous ring I have ever worn. It is everything I wanted and just feels GOOD on my finger!
You are a genius at interpreting what someone wants and making it a reality that far exceeds any expectation. Thank you.” ~ Client living in Brussels

“ I have to tell you the honest truth…Those rings are the best wedding bands I have ever seen. I am not just saying that; I told everyone that I don’t think I could have dreamed up a nicer ring. OK so I peeked. We even practiced putting them on each other. I just wanted to make sure they fit.  I love them and mine brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much.”

“OMG!!!!”

“I am speechless!  Jim surprised me last night with my stunningly beautiful 40th anniversary ring – as you, of course, know! I love it, and I love knowing all the caring, skilled, knowledgeable and talented people who created it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!  The book is such a nice touch, too. You do things right. It fits perfectly and looks great on my finger.  I am showing it off!”

“The cufflinks were a hit. He was very surprised and loved the detail on the back sides. He has quickly adjusted his wardrobe to include using them at every opportunity. It was the right decision and I am so thankful.”

“Hello dear Cynthia – got the beautifully crafted jewelry yesterday. Needless to say I’m very pleased. I’m quite amazed how you achieved everything I wished for. I’m also excited over the versatility of the piece. I can wear it in so many ways…”

“Thank you so much for your extraordinary care over my choosing and purchasing. And, for your extraordinary talent and gorgeous creations. I treasure my beautiful things, and the fun we had making decisions.” LS.

 “She wore them, she rocked them, she loves them…” says her husband.

“You are truly the best and I am forever grateful for the cherished blessing of your friendship.  You are the ‘perfect co-conspirator!'”

“What a excellent experience. Living in Switzerland, I saw the ring in your online shop.  You gave me some advice for size. You even made a small video for me. The ring arrived a few days later, perfect size, even more beautiful. It was a pleasure, I‘ll visit your shop again…”

“The earrings are magnificent!  They look so good and sumptuous together with the ring!  Strangers comment to me things like, “I love your jewelry!” and they are honestly dazed by it, just like I am every time I look at it all too!

“A beautiful blessed morning to you. I just want to let you know how much joy I’ve had from my pearls and pendant. I’m truly amazed at the engineering that went into their creation. I sit and play and marvel over the fine work you and your goldsmith have done. How in the world did you do the tiny hinges?”

“O my God, oh my God….absolutely fantastic.  I must say I favor the Tanzanites – really incredible!!!!  And the size is really perfect for me – I have to keep that in mind on future earrings! Can you forward me to the Jewelry Anonymous line?”

“IT’S BEAUTIFUL!!!!!  I LOVE IT, I NEED NICER HANDS.  THANK YOU SO MUCH.”

“Wow it is stunning! The stone looks so good and bright and brilliant and the Tanzanite and the Yellow Sapphire are spectacular together. Great work. I am so glad I had you redo it. I love my initials in the ring – makes it very personalized.”

“Can you say fantastic, awesome, beautiful, like no other…or just simply perfect? Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you…It made me cry. I can’t keep my eyes off of it. Every detail is exactly what I wanted. You are awesome…”

“WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!! WHAT A NECKLACE!!!”

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