JCK | Alex Woo Jewelry

JCK – JCK Asks… Alex Woo

Love her letters? You’re not the only one.

Live-tweeting TV shows: It’s the new chat board. Every Monday at 8 p.m. (EST), stylephiles take to Twitter to obsess over the outfits on The Carrie Diaries, The CW’s ’80s-set prequel to Sex and the City. On the premiere, young Carrie (AnnaSophia Robb) wore a sweet little gold “C” necklace—the precursor to SATC’s Carrie nameplate—which costume designer Eric Daman quickly ID’d via tweet as Alex Woo’s. “Carrie Bradshaw is a style icon,” says Woo. “I am thrilled that my Little Letter ‘C’ is speaking to such a big part of her character!” Not surprisingly, the prime-time placement has led to a bump in sales of the Little Letters. And we suspect it’s only the beginning for Woo, whose delicate jewels run the gamut from A to Z and beyond.

Alex Woo’s 14kt gold Little Letter “C”

Number of years in the biz:10

Family and pets: My husband and son can make me smile on even the toughest days.

Describe your personal style: Classic, modern, and bold. I like to pair the trends of the season with timeless pieces that really can be worn year after year.

The Carrie Diaries

The single piece of jewelry you’re most proud of: It’s like choosing a child—I don’t really like to play favorites. I love them all for different reasons.

Little Penguin in Sterling Silver

First piece you ever designed: I was probably 8 years old or so. It was a two-tone pendant—silver and brass. I hand cut the metals with a saw and then made it shine on a polishing machine all by myself.

First job ever: Helping my dad sell jewelry during holiday weekends when I was in middle school.

How did you get started designing jewelry? My father is a master bench jeweler, so I was raised with a definite appreciation for gems, precious metals, and fine craftsmanship. But it wasn’t until I enrolled at Parsons to formally study jewelry design that I truly discovered my passion for it.

Woo and her son

Jewelry you’re wearing right now: My Little Lotus in 14k yellow gold. I find myself always reaching for it when I need a little bit of peace.

Five items on your desk right now: iPhone; magazine(s); sketchbook; coffee; a photograph of my son. (When I look at that, it’s like a little moment of Zen.)

Exercise regimen: “Just Dance” on the Wii U—it’s my new enjoyment with my son.

Little Seasons Sea Turtle in 14k gold

What did you have for breakfast? A large coffee and a Chobani Greek yogurt.

Guilty pleasure: I love Top Chef! My favorite part is the Quickfire.

Drink (daytime/evening): Coffee and water are staples.

First website you check every day (not your own!): Gmail

Morocco

How do you unwind? At night, I like to read my son a story before bed. Although these days he’s reading to me! He’s turning 4 soon and insists on only doing big-kid things, so I let him take charge.

Little and Little Big Number in 14k gold

If you weren’t designing jewelry, what would you be doing? I can’t imagine not being in the design industry. But if I had to choose, it would be something along the lines of a travel and food writer. It would be pretty amazing to be paid to travel the world, eat new food, and experience new cultures.

Preferred news source: I read everything on my iPhone.

Favorite movie: Sabrina. When I went to study abroad in Paris, I even took the “Sabrina” cooking class at Le Cordon Bleu. I love Audrey Hepburn—her personality, her style, all her Givenchy outfits in the movie.

Favorite place you’ve visited: Morocco. I felt like I was traveling back in time, especially when I slept in a tent and rode a camel at sunset in the Sahara Desert.

Superstitious? I do believe in lucky talismans and in sentimental objects that hold meaning. My life path number is 8, and in the Chinese culture, 8 is also a very lucky number, so that is a number I wear often in my daily life.

Speaking of lucky numbers… In 2011, a few Green Bay Packers bought my Double Numbers for their wives; the following year, a few of the NY Giants’ wives ordered their husbands’ numbers. And [Baltimore Ravens’ linebacker] Ray Lewis’ mom purchased my double numbers when I first launched the collection. So three years in a row family members of players who won the Super Bowl had purchased my numbers. Coincidence?

JCK – Who Will Be JCK’S Rock Star?

JCK Rock Star, an original video series sponsored by JCK Magazine and Swarovski Gems, they challenged five acclaimed designers to create the most beautiful piece of jewelry using a range of Swarovski precision-cut genuine gemstones.

In their 6th Episode “Meet Alex” they introduce everyone to their fifth contestant, Alex Woo, founder of the Alex Woo jewelry line. For the competition, Alex decides to use her travels as inspiration for her design. Will technical difficulties and working with unfamiliar stones prevent her from creating the winning piece? Watch and find out.

The winning piece will be featured in an original photo shoot in our June 2012 issue and will be showcased at the next JCK Las Vegas show.

JCK – I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream…Jewelry

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream…Jewelry By Jennifer Heebner, Senior Editor

July is National Ice Cream Month—and Sunday was National Ice Cream Day. Show your taste with one of these sweet jewelry styles.

Alex Woo’s Mini Addition Ice Cream Cones with Diamonds are featured.

JCK – Metals Product

JCK July 2008 With the prices of gold and platinum still soaring, more companies are using new metals for fine jewelry. In precious metals, sterling silver is rising in popularity again while palladium, a platinum-group metal, caught the eye of many jewelers this spring. Increasingly, metals like stainless steel titanium, and tungsten are being used for fine-jewelry applications.

Alex Woo’s sterling silver Zahrah Large Flower ring is a featured in the magazine as one of the top silver pieces of the sesason.