Culturally Influenced: 84Gem

Clearly, I'm obsessed with creative minds. Not everyone has the ingenuity to see beauty and design in mundane objects. A lot of people go to school to learn the art of creation, although sometimes it stems merely from passion. Kimone Young is the perfect example. Without formal training in jewelry design, she has learned and launched her own accessory lines; 84Gem and BabyGem. Thanks to research, trial and error, and a passion to take her love of jewelry a step farther she has begun her journey to the top. This is just the beginning for this queen; dreams of Africa, India and other counties are the next steps for this visionary designer. I'll be purchasing her pieces until she gets there and after.

HH: Please introduce 84Gem in your own words. Why did you chose the name 84Gem?
KY: 84Gem was inspired by my love for jewelry and different cultures. The jewelry is mainly composed of beads or gemstones reminiscent to jewelry found in other countries. I love the natural and organic shape that the stones have. It just makes each piece even more special. My creations have an ethnic vibe but are still modern- day looking. There's a little of everything for everyone. I wanted a name that was simple and easy to remember. 84 is for the year I was born and Gem is pretty self explanatory - just another word for gemstones or jewelry.

HH:You have no formal training in jewelry design. Discuss briefly the process you went through in order to teach yourself jewelry design. What is your favorite part of accessory design?
KY: I started out by taking things apart and making small gifts for friends. The deeper I got, the more I learned. I made so many mistakes in the beginning and I am still learning. I didn't hesitate to go out and buy books about beading and I would ask tons of questions in the jewelry supply stores. It's so interesting looking back at my very first creations. I think the most important skill that I needed was patience. Once I felt like I understood the basics, I immediately started looking for jobs with jewelry designers. That's the best experience, working side by side with someone that has been in the business for years. My favorite part of designing is the creation stage- gathering inspiration, shopping different trends, and looking for beads and materials to make my ideas come to life.

HH:What kind of inspirations do you credit for Baby Gem creations?
KY: Baby Gem came from a demand. I have a lot of friends with kids and they would always ask me to make something for their babies. Right around the same time, I saw a growing trend of kids wearing beaded jewelry. I love seeing fashionable kids! When coming up with ideas for Baby Gem, I kept my 10 year old cousin in mind. I remember going to the mall with her and she would always want to go shopping for cute jewelry for herself.

HH:You hope your line prospers to a point you can travel the country for beads &

materials. What countries do you hope to visit ?

KY: I know that Africa is the mecca for bead shopping! I would love to visit Ghana, Morocco, and Kenya. India would have to be next. I dream of going on a quest for beads and all kinds of trinkets. I can find some great pieces here in NY, but I know I can find so many unique pieces as well as ample amounts of inspiration in these countries.

HH: Any upcoming events or releases for the brand? Where can readers follow you and 84Gem?KY:What's next for 84Gem is to get more exposure through boutiques. In the future, I will be doing trunk shows as well. There aren't any dates set yet. I will be adding some new creations for Spring/Summer in the upcoming months. I accomplished more than I expected within the last year, so this year can only get better.

You can follow me on the following social media sites:
facebook.com/84gem
twitter.com/84_gem
IG: 84gem
84gem.tumblr.com

Jewelry can be purchased here:
www.84gem.com
etsy.com/shop/84gem