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ounder of Eden Presley, Gwen Myers, never imagined she’d make jewelry design her profession. Growing up in Miami, she was always creative, even following her interests to art school, yet she assumed her life would adhere to a “safer,” more practical trajectory to ensure she could pay her bills and make a living. She eventually went on to open a restaurant in Miami and ran that successfully for years before selling it and moving to New York City and entering its vibrant restaurant scene.
Finding inspiration in the beauty of the everyday, she infuses a sense joie de vivre into her work, creating pieces that are lyrical and whimsical.
In 2005, Gwen had her first child, a daughter, Eden, and in 2006, her son Dashal, and in 2007, her daughter Presley. Being home with three young children and no longer in the work force, she craved some sort of outlet or distraction. Already in the city’s “mommy and me” circuit, she took a jewelry course that was on offer and found the process of designing jewelry calming. While she immediately recognized that her creativity was not matched by her acumen at the bench, she figured out a way of working with manufacturers to get pieces produced that she herself could wear. This led to friends asking to purchase pieces which evolved to friends gathering when new pieces came out of production and then into jewelry parties in her home with attendance swelling to unmanageable proportions.
Even with all of the obvious popularity of her designs, Gwen’s watershed moment didn’t come until she was on a trip with her family in Miami. Wandering around a luxury shopping center while wearing her own pieces, a store owner took notice and urged Gwen to place her jewelry in the shop. After considering the possibility for a full year, she called the retailer and told her she was ready.
Always mindful of the lifestyles of all of those women who bolstered her at the start of her endeavor, Gwen ensures that her pieces are accessible to women purchasing pieces for themselves. Working in 14 karat gold with a wide variety of gemstones, she expresses her eye for color in nuanced ways, painting with the stones in unconventional combinations.
The peace and calm that Gwen discovered in the jewelry design is still ever-present, and she remains awestruck that she’s able to live her life so authentically, with such a profound love for what she does. Finding inspiration in the beauty of the everyday, she infuses a sense of joie de vivre into her work, creating pieces that are lyrical and whimsical.
Yet the lightheartedness and sentiment that her jewelry evokes belie the seriousness with which she approaches the fabrication process. Working with artisans in both Thailand and Italy, Gwen is obsessed with quality in both production and materials, determined that her pieces stand the test of time and can be worn for a lifetime and passed down through generations.
Gwen’s passion for the artform is also evident in her unquenchable curiosity. When she learns about a technique or a functionality, or she’s introduced to a craftsperson with an exceptional skill, she is drawn to explore the limits of possibilities. Whether its inlaying or enamel expertise or a new material or manufacturing approach, she delights in uncovering its potential in her work.
Throughout her prolific collections, from mantras that express one’s intentions overtly to candy-inspired creations that bring out one’s playful side to sophisticated silhouettes that empower, all pieces in the Eden Presley collection allow collectors of her work to express their individuality through adornment.