Steven Kretchmer had often been referred to as the most innovative designer to ever hit the jewelry scene. Renowned worldwide for his eighteen-karat blue gold, purple gold, gold mokume gane, and other extraordinary precious metals, he masterfully captured the mysterious yet fundamental forces of nature, transforming them into timeless works of art. Steven’s signature Tension-Set™ jewelry and magnetic Polarium™ platinum pieces revolutionized the fine jewelry design industry upon their debut.

Working with Steven was one of the most fascinating and frustrating experiences of my career. His critiques were meticulous; at times, I was convinced he used a jeweler's loupe to examine every detail. With Steven, attention to detail was paramount.

Brainstorming with Steven was a whirlwind of creativity, and often challenging to keep pace. While most would be content with generating three or four solid ideas, Steven and I once had an all-night session fueled by multiple pots of coffee, during which we developed twenty to thirty strong, feasible advertising campaign concepts. 

 When we developed this campaign, our goal was to create a sense of shock and awe. No one in the world could replicate Steven's tension-settings. He had devised a way for the ring's pressure to create tension on the stone, holding it in place and creating a floating effect. In addition, Steven had not only mastered creating perpendicular tension, he had also discovered a way to achieve lateral tension as well.

Given these unique settings that no other jeweler could replicate, we aimed to highlight both the beauty of the settings and the elegant simplicity of the bands, doing so in a sensational manner.

While other jewelry designers and retailers promoted their products on black or elegantly subdued backgrounds, we broke the mold. We introduced bright, vibrant colors, minimal copy, and a strong focus on the settings, complemented by stunning beauty shots of the bands.

BEYOND LOUD AND PROUD
Steven's "Loud and Proud" campaign was wildly successful, garnering him attention from numerous publications for interviews. The ads, accompanying direct mail, and collateral elements led to a series of follow-up campaigns as he continued to explore the realm of the possible in jewelry design. Each campaign maintained a similar theme, minimal copy, in-your-face visuals, and simple backgrounds.

After his untimely death, I continued to work with his daughter who took over the business. As she developed new pieces of jewelry, we evolved Steven's original campaign keeping the same basic framework.