“Today, the conversation has shifted from art and artistry to content and “content creators.” Where is the art? Where are the artists?”
I grew up in Queens, in New York City. It was in Queens that I got my start in the jewelry business to pay my way through college.
Manhattan, where fine jewelry was sold, seemed like a world away. What I saw taking place on Madison Avenue was troubling. Jewelry brands became faceless corporations. In Queens, I was surrounded by people making jewelry. I saw the inner workings of an industry that supported families and carried on traditions that went back centuries. I witnessed artists working tirelessly to preserve an art form, and I was forever changed.
Today, the conversation has shifted from art and artistry to content and “content creators.” Where is the art? Where are the artists?
In North America, there are scant remnants of our once robust and thriving manufacturing trade. There has been a race to the bottom where companies are moving everything overseas for cheaper labor, and what ultimately is a cheaper product. And yet, it’s still sold at a premium price point.
I needed to get away from the big business that the jewelry world had become. To secure this industry’s future as a true artform, I had to look to its past.
With Bixler’s, America’s Oldest Jeweler, we imagine a new competitive landscape, a race to the top. One where quality craftsmanship and sustainable processes are a matter of course. Luxury giants are now struggling to adapt to the rise of the conscious customer because they cannot offer a sustainable choice. Bixler’s has been offering the choice of quality craftsmanship and artistry for over two centuries. With our new certified sustainable atelier and manufacturing process, we are proud to offer that sustainable choice with zero compromises on quality.
We have nothing to hide. We are not beholden to a big corporation. We are not spread out all over the world. We are here under one roof. Our customers can see their pieces being made. When you talk to us, you’re dealing directly with the people making your piece.
We design and craft pieces you can’t find anywhere else and we keep our collections tightly curated. As we handcraft each piece one at a time, essentially every Bixler's piece is a custom piece, tailored to a single customer. Our doors are always open and we invite our customers to collaborate with us.
America was once a nation of craftspeople who took great pride in working with their hands. We can be that again. We can bring prestige back to North American handcraft to rival the finest from anywhere else in the world.
All it takes is one small change to have a big impact. It only takes one person to choose us over another jeweler and to show their friends and loved ones the exceptional quality and artistry that is possible when we think and act sustainably.
Now in our 240th year in business, we are honored to carry on the traditions of fine handcraft that have delivered us to this auspicious milestone. And with the support of conscious consumers like you, we know we can craft a better, more sustainable industry for generations to come.