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Jewelry designer Carolyn Tyler has been exhibiting her work at Dan Telleen’s Karats Vail for 23 years. Though it was rumored that she was retiring a couple of years ago, she is back at it, with new work in her signature, seductive style. She will be at Karats for a trunk show daily through Sunday, July 6, 11 a.m.-close. Here is a Q&A with the designer.

ART Weekly: Tell us a little about how you got to this point in your life.

Carolyn Tyler: I grew up in Southern California and had a successful career in ad copywriting and graphic design, when a serendipitous trip to Bali in 1989 set the wheels of fortune in motion and redirected me to more artistic pursuits. Four years later, after dipping my toe into designing clothes and accessories for import to America, I built a home and moved to the famed Indonesian Island, and through a series of Epic Synchronicities (some disguised as misfortunes!), I segued into fine jewelry design, using the unparalleled skill of Balinese craftspeople to bring my jewelry visions into 3-D.

In 1995 I won the coveted “Rising Star” designation at the Prestigious JCK Jewelry Show, where I was promoted and discovered by Saks 5^th Avenue and Neiman Marcus. For twenty years, I shared “luxury retail real-estate” with the likes of Tiffany and Bulgari in those iconic stores. After 9/11, I took a road trip in my “Superfly pimpmobile” car: a 1972 Cadillac El Dorado convertible (with a trunk full of jewels), looking for independent galleries across the country, and fell in love with Karats and, of course, its charismatic and creative owner, Dan, who took me on as his first-ever consigning designer.

AW: We all thought you were retiring – now you’re back? What’s the deal?

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CT: I was just burnt out and needed a little break! I still have WAY too many juicy gemstones (from 35 years of collecting!) beckoning me to make them into something beautiful to actually retire. And, as Dan knows, when you’re driven by the urge to create, it’s impossible to “retire”.

AW: You’re known for using 22k yellow gold in all your pieces, but recently you added some silver designs to your collection. What sparked the addition and how did it go? 

CT: Yes, I became somewhat famous in the industry for my unique “soft-gold” look, which I call “Archaeological Pirate Booty” — it’s a 22k gold matte-finish which makes my gold pieces look like museum artifacts, or treasure from Aladdin’s cave. I avoid high-polish, which looks garish, in my opinion. I have always done occasional mixed-metal pieces with sterling silver and 22k gold, but lately, I’m excited by using oxidized (blackened) silver contrasted with gold, which keeps the archaeological allure and increases affordability by reducing the gold content. I still achieve the rich classiness of high-karat gold designs by using it in accents on the silver, without breaking people’s jewelry budgets.

AW: What’s inspiring you?

CT: My travels in Europe to medieval cities with castles like Dubrovnik, Prague, and the Isle of Skye in Scotland, visiting museums, and watching series like “Game of Thrones “have been inspiring my design musings for the last few years. I’ve developed some textures using etching and gouging techniques which create interesting contrasts with the usual granulation, filigree and repoussé embellishment I have traditionally used, and it looks especially appealing with oxidized silver against yellow gold. 

AW: Do you offer custom work, and will you be taking custom requests during your visit?

CT: I do offer custom work, so if anyone wants to bring my their treasured family jewels for remodel, I can do it — I just need time, since the work is done in Bali. I am also happy to set my own loose stones to suit a client’s design ideas, as I recently did for a Karats customer celebrating his 50^th wedding anniversary with a custom-made locket.

AW: What can shoppers expect when they visit the trunk show?

CT: Coming into Karats is like entering a time warp and finding a secret treasure-cave inhabited by happy, shiny people willing to help you find your perfect jeweled companion. The minute you enter the store, the intimate, curved layout, pueblo-style adobe case design, Persian carpets, and general ambience make you realize you are somewhere magical. I do a near takeover of the display area, filling the cases with my newest work, and some old favorites as well. Every display is color-coordinated for ease of “mixing and matching” designs. So, you’ll find all of that–plus ME! I will be there to share stories of Bali and my epic journey through the World of Luxury Jewelry, and also answer more practical questions about gem and jewelry care.