Panache, flair and style: The designs of Valerie Naifeh

by Robin Dorner
Editor in Chief

Artisan Valerie Naifeh headed to the University of Tulsa for a degree in architecture, never considering a profession in the jewelry industry. But she built a 32-year career doing just that.

“As fate would have it, one of my former art instructors recommended me for an apprenticeship for a local jeweler in Tulsa,” said Naifeh. “I interviewed and got the position and the rest is history! I fell in love with the process of designing and making jewelry.”

Naifeh was born and raised in Tulsa. Her father paints, sings, sculpts and is apparently very handy, “fixing everything around our house.”

“Growing up with a Renaissance man, of sorts, my two brothers and I couldn't help but be influenced.  Both of my brothers are musicians and draw much better than I do.”

She is in her own jewelry store now: Naifeh Fine Jewelry in Northwest Oklahoma City at Casady Square, located at Penn & Britton.

“I started my own company in 1993 but didn't open a store until 1998,” said the fine jewelry designer. “I've been designing my own line of jewelry since 1993, but I didn't begin doing wholesale trade shows until 2011.”

Naifeh said there are now ten stores outside of Oklahoma that carry her work and that it is very gratifying to find a larger audience. She said the stone or stones and the personality of the individual will indicate to her how to custom the design.

“It's interesting, people will tell me, ‘I haven't made an appointment with you to redesign my jewelry because I don't know what I want,’ but that's my job!” said Naifeh. “Over the years I've honed a specific line of questioning that allows the person to tell me what they want, even though they may not realize that's what they’re doing. And then there are the gemstones...they have a way of speaking for themselves.  I just do what they tell me!”

The most interesting piece she has ever designed? Naifeh said, “I have a client who is very interested in history and geology.  She brought me a picture from a book on archaeology that showed a line drawing of a necklace that was recovered from a 3,500-year-old Chinese tomb.  She asked me to design a piece that was similar but using a specific color palette of gemstones. 

“She also decided that she wanted to be able to detach the centerpiece of the necklace and wear it as a bracelet.  It took almost two years to make that piece, but the result was worth the wait. It was not only beautiful, but the clasp device we had to device to make the piece wearable two ways worked out well too.”

Most of the custom design work at Naifeh Fine Jewelry is done on premise in Casady Square at Penn & Britton in Oklahoma City. Clients are invited to be a part of the process so as to assure they receive exactly what they want.  NFJ is a proud member of the American Gem Society, of which only five percent of retail jewelers nationwide qualify. 

“I design two collections of jewelry under my wholesale line, Naifeh Design:  Elements, an 18kt yellow and white gold production line and Emotions, a line of 22kt hand fabricated jewelry designed in the Etruscan tradition,” she said in closing.

Naifeh Fine Jewelry is a full service fine jewelry store offering appraisal, repair, and custom jewelry design services in addition to having over 40 lines of unique and distinctive jewelry as well as engagement rings and wedding bands. Clients wanting custom design services are requested to make an appointment by dialing (405) 607-4323. 

Private design by Naifeh can take up to ten weeks, although many items take less time.

The Gayly – July 19, 2016 @ 7:40 a.m.