Carolyn's Story
Ask Carolyn Tyler how she came to be a jewelry designer and she'll shrug and say with a wink "I guess it was in the stars"... and then she'll tell you the spellbinding tale of the Stolen Opal.
During her divorce in 1990, a rare lavender opal pendant, bought during a school holiday in Greece 15 years earlier, went missing. She was distraught, and traveled to Bali to find solace--and, as luck would have it, she also found a goldsmith to re-create her beloved treasure. Fellow tourists stopped her in the street asking where they could find one like it, and an idea was born. After selling several versions of the original right off her neck, she made herself a lavender opal ring (see photo), modeled after the famous arm cuff of King Ramses II, to replace the necklace, and launched into full time jewelry designing in Bali.
In 2006, Carolyn opened a jewelry store in Santa Barbara, across the street from the spot where she encountered her ex. On the third day of business, a woman came in and asked how she started in jewelry design, and Carolyn told her the Story of the Stolen Opal. After answering the woman’s many questions, she revealed that she had an opal pendant of that description, given to her by a friend in 1990 (the year it was stolen).
Her friend had received it from a suitor (the ex, of course!) as a gift, but never felt "right" about it, so she gave it away. The woman also never wanted to wear it, but couldn't seem to part with it. She brought it to Carolyn later that day, and it was, indeed, the Stolen Opal (see photo)-finally returned to it's home after a 15 year absence.
The moral of this story is...When life gives you lemons, make the best darn lemonade there is, brand it, and let the world enjoy it!
Born under the creative sign of Libra in Los Angeles, Carolyn spent her post-university years in Santa Barbara, California, running a small advertising agency.
From her self-designed home, which she describes as "an oversized piece of jewelry which functions as a house", she envisions and sketches jeweled creations both whimsical and royal. With the help of a loyal loyal team of master craftsmen, she performs the alchemy of turning her dreams, literally, into gold.
For Carolyn Tyler, collecting gemstones is a passion. She favors using "phenomenal" gems (those that possess special qualities of light reflection and refraction), ancient coins and South Sea pearls in her one-of-a-kind creations.