People & Jewelers

It  just couldn’t be  helped that Chicago born, Dana Rebecca Levy was going to be a jeweler.  It’s in her DNA.  As a child Dana learned a lifelong discipline from her jeweler father, Israel .

“He’s a total inspiration and my hero and taught me to roll with the punches,” says the statuesque  26 year old young woman.  She’s keen to talk about his successes from his native Morocco to Israel and the USA. After leaving Casablanca, as a young lad in Israel  he went into the  army. When he moved to the States, he was drafted into the Vietnam War.  “He never complained. He’s my total inspiration for never looking back,” says the enthusiastic daughter.  Subsequently, Israel, has become a very successful diamond merchant in Chicago.

The baby of the family learned at the knee of her successful  father with whom she  credits her success and knowledge.  She was 15 years old when she first accompanied him to India. “While there I told my dad that I didn’t really like what he was designing. He actually took my advice realizing how very interested I was in the jewelry business. At his suggestion I met someone he knew  who could assess my talent,” she states.  And, to everyone’s amazement, Dana produced an entire collection in five days, had it made up for her and the items shipped back to the States.

 She recalls how she and her sister would go through her mother’s jewelry box dismissing many of the very dynamic and exotic diamonds , gifts from her father and evaluating them as not being for everyday wear.  That’s her thing -timeless, classic, wearable jewelry for day or night but all wonderful and noticeable with new and edgy detailing e.g. small diamonds (certainly not new) surrounding newly intricately carved exotic and unknown stones made in China.    Her memories continue going back to her grandmother…”who IS (she is alive) so glamorous and I’ve always kept in mind her stacking rings,  well ahead of her time. So beautiful. “

Although their businesses and offices are completely separate, they are on the same floor in the same building. But Dana is she firm about her independence although admits  that she does occasionally ask for advice.

Taking her ability seriously, she did one charity event  and then a golf outing where  she had set up a live auction  room.  And within a few weeks the entire collections was sold.  From then on she held a showing every summer during school break.

“ Then I was using a lot of rough cut diamonds and stones  and I was lucky enough to grow up in this family so that I had an entire factory to get the best basis of the  jewelry process.  And the evolution was incredible since I went from funky beads to diamonds,” says the black clad, dark hair woman.  Soon she was off to college but had already sold an entire diamond collection.

” When I finished college and decided I needed to know more  I took many courses at the Gemological Institute of American in California.  I studied in their applied jewelry department where I learned to draw and paint.  Then I went on to study how to make a wax sample, casting and molding, all the manufacturing technology one should know in this business.”

 She ended  learning the computer side and graduated in May 06. Shortly afterwards Dana opened her doors for her business, Dana Rebecca  Designs.

It didn’t take long before there was a flurry of calls “because of the designs I had done before, I actually had clients waiting for my output”.

 She launched her company  with two very clever twists. Each collection was named for a close family member or friend and only then would she created the designs which suited that particular person’s personality

The second brilliant twist was this savvy young woman  quickly started to focus not so much on designing but the spine of the business- accounting, setting up the office and  keeping staff as small as possible.” I felt knowing all aspects of any business  is essential .  I heard of too many who had started a business, hired too many staff members and losing sight of the bottom line.”

Not long afterward she realized that with the fast turnover, she would have to go to Hong Kong and find an extremely fine manufacturer who could do the various creations she had designed.  It’s here Dana buys her stones  twice a year at the Hong Kong fair and then  heads back to Hong Kong to get her creations finished to her very particular demands.

 “I find it very easy to go to Hong Kong and work there since they know me and I know and appreciate their attention to detailed work.  I stay for several weeks and then when I leave, they email or fax sketches of the final work, for my approval.”

 The stones she purchases aren’t necessary from HK but from Brazil and India but it saves time and the selection in this territory is perfect for her needs.

“When I started, I didn’t have the confidence for one of a kind items.  In the last year, I’ve been focusing on only one –of- a –kind and it’s been an amazing eye opener.”

She’s created a very impressive specialty… carved stones. Rubelite, coral, tourmalines, that  she “searches high and low” for is what she’s finding her clients want and love.

“I’m not a designer who does one or two collections a year but work continuously because  I’m always inspired and can’t hold back my thoughts.”

Her own favorite stone is a surprise…Sleeping Beauty Turquoise, the ones with no veins and great  color which  “makes everyone’s skin look remarkable.”

Without hesitation she also adds tourmalines and  rubelite in the garnet family to her list and admits to  that jeweler Irene Nuwirth, who shows at Barney’s in Chicago is one of her favorite jewelry designers.

Dana is now working with a lot of pave in rings, earrings, bracelets, pendants and a small collection of cuff links. In fact, one of the pave earrings was shown in Self Magazine. “Carved pink opal, lemon quartz, white agate in shapes that I want are the fastest sellers.  A carved rubelite pair of earrings was seen on the cover of Michigan Avenue – never had a Michigan Avenue cover but these are expected to be on Oprah’s cover.   A disco ball is made with fancy blue or yellow sapphires with diamonds.  Her “eighties throwback” includes mixing metals.  And one  way to keep down her prices, is her use of 14 k gold. “Americans don’t know the difference. Europeans  appreciate the higher gold content.  I did work in 18 k and 22 K but it shot up the price of each item so this is the way to lower the tag without skimping on the gem.”

  Rose gold , which Dana finds very chic, is part of her collection and Dana admits that working with different metals sets her apart from other designers. “I like to use rubies in black metal, or rose  gold or sapphires in black metal.  I like to play since I think that’s what my clients want and like.  The entire collection is evolving. The newest is from an Indian jeweler who carves the stone from underneath and was seen in Women’s Wear Daily’s Ultimate Accessories Guide.

Diamonds come from her father or his contacts and a 6 carat black diamond bracelet is truly a work of art as seen on the arm of actor Selma Hayek who wore it on a TV show.

She cites one client who has 12 bracelets which she stacks.  “I have to find new colors for her.  Often she’ll wear a few  at one time but with two of my  pave diamond bangles.”  I’d prefer not to mention her — I dont want her to think I’m talking about her. Is that okk??

 Another favorite are black diamonds and a rudilated quartz or as she calls them, Super Seven. “Even In this economy, my clients want pieces that are unique and the carving is so fine and unusual”.

And she’s no slouch when it comes to publicity. Dana has had a second Oprah cover on “O” magazine — soon to have 2 covers. Imagine getting the most powerful woman in American to embrace your designs?  That’s heady, no matter how old or young one is.  Singer Carrie Underwood wore her earrings for a CMT Announcement .   Another pair of earrings –scalloped and edgy blue topaz- was featured shown in Elle Magazine. .

As for outlets, the well known  80 year old establishment in Chicago Marshall Pierce, has her jewelry on show as does, Frances Hefferman, Sophia Vintage on famous Chicago’s, Oak Street.

Dana has recently opened the door to a new boutique in California. And she’s well known enough to Hollywood Red Carpet stars and their stylists to get requests for that big walk down the carpet.  Although on loan for that evening, many land up purchasing the jewelry.

He goal? In 10 years she expects to have it all.  Not only will have earned  great status but  be married and have a family. With Dana Rebecca Levy, it is more than a possibility, it’s a probability. Who could believe that this youthful woman would already be such a successful  entrepreneur with a great future?