FAQ

-Your necklaces look so fragile and delicate… 
Most of my collection is knotted on silk cord. Silk cord is traditionally used for knotting really good quality pearls because it is both strong and has a lovely drape. Although my designs look delicate they stand up to everyday wear and tear. No worries.

-Do you design for brides and bridal parties? 
Yes! Designing for bridal is a lot of fun and usually winds up being completely custom. I work with brides locally and nationally.

-I love your work, do you have a store?
Not yet but some day I would love to have a store. You can purchase my work online and at shows. Please see the events page for my show schedule.

-Do you do custom orders?
Absolutely! Custom orders range form picking out a pre-existing design form the collection that you may need shorter/longer to designing something completely new. I’m open! Please email me with any ideas and we can go from there.

-Do you wholesale your work?
Yes, please email me if you need more info about minimums etc.

-I have a broken piece of jewelry, can you repair it?
All jewelry repairs are free of charge as long as all the parts/stones are intact. I do ask that you include $5 for return shipping. Repairs usually take two weeks to complete. Please email me for repair requests. Karencostonjewelry@gmail.com . 
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-I lost an earring, what should I do?
Most of the time I can match your lost earring. Please send me an email requesting a repair before you ship the remaining earring so that I can be on the look out for your repair. Replacing one earring is half the price of the original pair. Replacements can take up to two weeks to complete. When you send your lonely earring please include accurate shipping information and I highly recommend shipping with insurance.

-Should I send my repairs with insurance or delivery conformation?
I highly recommend sending all repairs with some sort of tracking. I prefer to use UPS/ USPS or FedEx Ground but it’s totally up to you. There’s nothing worse than a lost package and I can’t be responsible for packages lost in the mail. Please please please DO NOT send work using Registered Mail this will cause extensive delays….

- Before Karen Coston Jewelry there was Apexspire Jewelry, what does that mean?
When I created apexspire I was in grad school at Howard University working on my MFA in 2003. I had limited materials and absolutely no extra money to buy anything new. The process of pulling what materials I had around me together and creating a cohesive jewelry line really galvanized my aesthetic. This aesthetic has become a culmination of interesting patterns on metal, unusual color combinations and meticulous fine knot work.

The apex spire is one of Simon Rodia’s Watts Towers in Watts L.A. Simon Rodia just started building the Watts Towers one day by simply using existing and found materials around him. In my opinion the Watts Towers are a remarkable testament to spontaneity, creative process and resourcefulness. They inspired me in the beginning to just start with what I had on hand and they continue to inspire me now.

Exploring a variety of traditional and nontraditional material allows me to create a timeless contemporary line of jewelry that completely separates the individual wearer from the masses.

link to the watts towers
http://www.narrowlarry.com/nlwatts.html