Maertens In The News
"Business and Butterflies Making a Difference" (Calvert Independent - November 12, 2008)Unique Jewelry That Benefits Local Community" (by Jamie Clark Tiralla)
Custom Made Jewelry by Solomons Jeweler (by Jamie Clark Tiralla)
Celebrate Family with Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts (by Jamie Clark Tiralla)
Voted "Best of the Bay" in Bay Weekly (2009)
Business & Butterflies Making A Difference
by Sharon Allen Gilder. Reprinted with permission from Calvert IndependentAmerican Indian lore credits butterflies with making wishes come true. As legend has it, you must first capture a butterfly and whisper a wish to it. Since butterflies make no sound, they cannot share your wish with anyone but the Great Spirit who hears and sees all. In appreciation for giving the butterfly its freedom, your wish is taken to the heavens and granted. Calvert County natives, Heather Maertens and Kristen Hobar of Maertens Fine Jewelry and Gifts, captured the spirit of granting wishes when a car accident, a lost possession, talent and attendance at a breast cancer event converged to make a difference.
Hobar never imagined she would become a jeweler but, seven years ago she was involved in a car accident and the only piece of jewelry not returned to her was a butterfly bracelet purchased by her father twenty-five years earlier for her mother. She was referred to Maertens and convinced her to re-create the bracelet which she did from Hobar’s memory. Hobar’s interest in the jewelry design process transported her from customer to friend. She explained, "Heather said if I went away to school, came back and wanted a job, I had one." Hobar apprenticed, studied, became a bench jeweler and the rest is solid gold and silver history.
Next, Maertens and Hobar spun their attraction to butterflies into a specialty design taking elusive to exclusive. The metamorphosis of their concept began as a sort of epiphany. They attended a Brunch & Brem event at Old Field Inn in November 2007 to hear Dr. Rachel Brem, Director of George Washington University Medical Center’s Breast Imaging and Intervention Center, speak about her mission to eradicate breast cancer as a life threatening disease. Maertens said, "Everything Dr. Brem said absolutely moved me. With the foundation’s motto ‘put wings on hope,’ the butterfly was appropriate and symbolic for the Brem Foundation." Hobar got to work and created an exclusive butterfly pendant. She said, "I designed the Brem butterfly so it would stand out above all the rest that I’ve made in the past." Maertens Jewelers donates 15% of the proceeds from sales of the pendant to Brem Foundation.
Hobar said, "I didn’t know jewelry was going to be my niche. The butterfly started my whole career. It’s great to do something that’s going to help women out there who need it and it’s wonderful being a part of that."
Maertens gemologist, Jamie Tiralla said, "The response to the butterfly pendants has been really good. Most of the people who buy it have their own personal story of breast cancer. They have either survived it or know someone who has. They can give the pendant as a gift or give it to themselves." Tiralla added, "I think butterflies are beautiful. It’s neat the way they fly around, the motion of their wings and the lightness."
Local CPA and longtime customer, Patricia Blackford agrees. "I was attracted to the butterfly pendants because they represent life, happiness and freedom from cancer." Three years ago, Blackford was diagnosed with breast cancer. After two lumpectomies and six weeks of radiation, I was done. I was so lucky and I know that." She prefers not to call herself a survivor she said, "Because it implies something very dire that happened. In my case, there was not a huge need to fight something to live. I knew I needed to address it and move on. I never felt like I was fighting for my life. I don’t mean to trivialize the disease at all, it’s just the way it affected my life. When diagnosed you need to address it and do whatever it takes."
Blackford purchased two pendants, one for herself and one for her daughter-in-law’s mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer three days after Blackford’s surgery. She presented the gift to her this past summer at the Relay for Life held at Calvert High School. Her note with the gift was simple yet poignant, "With all it represents, compliments of me."
To date, numerous butterflies have taken flight from their perches at Maertens with more ready to launch. Maertens noted, "People just love the butterflies with the orange sapphires on the antennae. They are into the whole story about the ‘power of orange.’" Her reference to orange denotes the Brem Foundation’s use of the color at events thanks to inspiration from Maryland color abstractionist, Ellen Gordon Gordon’s painting, Power of Orange. Gordon chose the piece to donate to the foundation because, "Orange is the universal color of healing. In color therapy, orange is used to raise energy and increase immunity."
Butterflies and community service are recurring themes with Maertens and her husband, Darren. She grew up in Calvert County and wants to stay involved. "We want to give back as much as we can. Local businesses should give back and stay in touch with what’s going on." Paraphrasing a favorite passage she said, "Butterflies remind us to get up and move. If we can move, then we can dance and dance brings joy."
Unique Jewelry That Benefits Local Community
By Jamie Clark TirallaIf you are looking for something truly unique this holiday season, you need not look any further than Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts or their sister store Maertens on the Island, both in Solomons, Maryland.
Both shops are owned by Calvert County native Heather Maertens, and her husband Darren Maertens. The couple opened their first store, Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts in the Solomons Town Center in October 2002. The store is the perfect creative outlet for jeweler, Heather, who has been making jewelry since she was a child. "I used to make bracelets out of beads and string," Heather recalls, "and I would give one to each of my friends and every member of my family." These days, Heather prefers precious metals, diamonds, and gemstones.
Heather creates many exclusive designs that can only be found in her stores. She draws her inspirations from memories of growing up on the Chesapeake Bay. Her newest jellyfish collection is just one example. "Of course nobody wants to be in the water when they’re out, but jellyfish really are beautiful," Heather muses, "and I wanted to capture that beauty - the flowing tentacles and their gentle sway." Heather’s collection features pendants available in two sizes, in a choice of sterling silver or 14kt gold, or in combinations of the two, and can be accented with diamonds and gemstones.
The piece that really gave Heather her start was a seahorse that she created during the Seahorses by the Bay Project. The Seahorse Project was a collaborative effort between Annmarie Garden, The Calvert Marine Museum and the public and private schools of Calvert County, Maryland. Each school was given a six foot tall seahorse statue to decorate for an auction that would benefit the art programs in each school. Inspired by the project and eager to help improve the county’s school art programs, Heather sat down and carved a wax miniature of the statue. The wax would be used in the ancient jewelry making process of lost wax casting. The finished product was a pendant available in sterling silver or 14kt gold accented with diamonds and/or gemstones. "So many people, myself included, didn’t realize that there were seahorses in the bay until the Seahorse Project. The project was wonderful on so many levels and I am so proud to have been involved," Heather said. To date, Maertens has donated over $6,000 to the Seahorse Project from the sale of their pendants and will continue to donate 15% of the proceeds from each sale back to the group which still offers grants to art teachers and students.
There are many more stories like the seahorses at Maertens. Heather has created nearly a dozen area related pieces for local groups including the Arc of Southern Maryland, Relay for Life, and the Humane Society of Calvert County. She also makes one of a kind pieces to benefit school and charity fundraising efforts, most recently, a sterling silver and 18kt yellow gold frog pendant for the live auction at the Baltimore Zoo’s annual fundraising dinner, Zoomerang. Heather and Darren believe strongly in giving back to their community. "Heather and I have been blessed with talent and good fortune and I can’t think of anything more important than giving it back to the community who has supported us," says Darren Maertens. Darren dedicates his time to serving the community; he is currently the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and is a board member for the United Way of Calvert County.
The Maertens goodwill is contagious and it has been spread to all members of their team, most notably, jeweler Kristen Hobar. Kristen joined the Maertens team after attending jewelry school in Virginia Beach, VA. She had previously apprenticed with Heather and returned to work beside her at Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts. Inspired by the Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer’s motto "Put Wings on Hope" and her long time love and fascination of butterflies, Kristen created a special piece to help make a difference. Kristen’s Brem Butterfly pendant is available in two sizes and a choice of metal combinations with or without gemstone accents. Kristen "wanted the Brem Butterfly to stand out above the others I’ve made in the past". The signature butterfly in the collection is accented with orange sapphires, because orange is the universal color of healing and a symbolic color for the Brem Foundation. Like many of the Maertens Exclusives, 15% of the proceeds from the sales of the Brem Butterflies are donated back to the Brem Foundation. "It is a chance to make a real difference," Kristen said, "one hundred percent of the funds raised by the Brem foundation goes directly back into purchasing new advanced equipment to help detect breast cancer sooner." In addition to the Maertens Exclusive pieces, the Maertens feature one-of-a-kind creations by Heather and Kristen in addition to jewelry designers from around the world. "The first thing people notice when they visit the store is how different our jewelry is. We strive to offer unique designs, superb craftsmanship, and excellent quality," says Heather Maertens.
If you haven’t visited the Maertens yet, now is the time! With unique jewelry and a friendly and knowledgeable staff, you are sure to find the perfect gift or something for yourself.
Custom Made Jewelry by Solomons Jeweler
By Jamie Clark TirallaIt may be a surprise that Solomons, Maryland is home to one of the area’s leading custom design jewelers. Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts, located in the Solomons Town Center, specializes in custom made and one-of-a-kind jewelry creations. The Maertens are known for their exclusive collections including the Bay and Maryland bracelets, as well as their seahorse collection, and their newest jellyfish collection but what you may not know is that a lot of what they make never makes it into their showcases. Heather Maertens, jeweler and owner of Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts, estimates that "at least 50% of the jewelry that we make is a custom designed piece, commissioned by a client". The Maertens are passionate about unique jewelry and enjoy each and every custom project, they have made hundreds of creations ranging from rings and pendants to cuff links and belt buckles.
Custom designing a piece of jewelry can be intimidating, but the team of jewelers and designers at Maertens work hard to put their clients at ease. Your first visit will involve you sitting with a member of their team for a consultation. You should come prepared with your ideas and any pictures you might have. Their designers will sketch some preliminary designs for you. On your second visit, you will be shown more intricate sketches, capturing your design on paper. You will have an opportunity to perfect the sketch, making changes and alterations until you are ready to finalize the design. Once the sketches are finalized, the jewelry making process will begin. There are a variety of techniques that may be used to make your custom jewelry design. "We involve each client in the custom design process, it is a lot of fun to see a project start off from just an idea or a sketch and watch it turn into a finished piece of jewelry," says Heather, "The client gets to make all the decisions about their piece, from what metal we use to where and how the gemstones are set and they walk away in the end knowing this is their piece."
When making your custom piece of jewelry, you will be able to select the specifics such as metal type, diamond quality and be able to choose from a rainbow of gemstones. The Maertens will create your piece in any precious metal from sterling silver to gold to platinum. You may choose 14 karat or 18 karat gold and in any color: traditional yellow, contemporary white or fashionable rose gold. Heather Maertens suggests recycling diamonds and gemstones you have from old and unworn pieces of jewelry, "custom designed jewelry can be a great way to breathe life into the jewelry you already have but aren’t wearing either because it’s out of fashion or broken". If you do not have diamonds and gemstones you would like to recycle, the Maertens can help you choose the perfect stones from a selection of diamonds and gemstones catered to your specifications.
The jewelers and designers at Maertens can create jewelry for you using a variety of methods and they will help you select the method best suited for your needs. There are jewelry mountings that are prefabricated that can be used or altered to create a unique piece of jewelry. Prefabricated mountings are a cost effective way to create a unique piece, because they don’t require that you start from scratch. Many designs are so unique that they have never been made before and there is no pre-existing model. These one-of-a-kind designs require that they be made by hand or made using computer aided manufacturing.
Since the beginning of man, jewelry has been made and worn as a sign of power, faith, and fashion. The jewelers at Maertens make jewelry using age old techniques from hand forging metals to hand carving waxes. Some designs are better suited to be made using computer aided design and manufacturing or CAD/CAM. The Maertens are associated with a CAD/CAM expert in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who has been using the software since it was introduced to the jewelry industry. The computer aided technology allows the client to see their design in a three-dimensional computer image. Changes can be made to the computer rendering just as with the hand drawn renderings. From the final design, the computer can create a wax carving based on the design. A wax created by computer is more precise than those carved by hand and can be more easily recreated if changes are needed.
"Many people hear custom jewelry and automatically think it is going to be more expensive," says Heather Maertens. She addresses this issue by saying, "it doesn’t have to be expensive. We work in every budget for every customer and in the end you’ll have exactly what you want". The finished piece of jewelry that the Maertens create will perfectly capture your design, giving you a piece of jewelry that you can be proud of and that you will enjoy wearing.
If you’ve been considering custom jewelry but hesitate because you don’t know where to go or how it works, visit Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts in Solomons, Maryland for a no-cost consultation. Their team of jewelers and designers will walk you through custom jewelry design process. In the end you’ll have a piece unlike any other and the satisfaction of having been a part of its creation.
Celebrate Family with Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts
By Jamie Clark TirallaThere are over 46 countries worldwide that have a holiday to celebrate mothers. The holiday in the United States has a long history having been made an official holiday in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson. We honor our mother’s on this day with flowers, cards, candy, and jewelry. With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day right around the corner, Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts is stocking up with the perfect gift for moms, dads, and grandparents.
Family stands at the core of Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts, a business owned by Heather and Darren Maertens, employing the couple’s family and friends. "We appreciate our families so much for helping us get to where we are today, we try to remember that every day, but especially on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day," says Heather Maertens. Heather, a jeweler and hand engraver, offers a wide selection of unique and sentimental gifts to give Mom and Dad.
Birthstone Jewelry: Encyclopedia Britannica says that a birthstone is a "gemstone associated with the date of one’s birth, the wearing of which is commonly thought to bring good luck or health". Birthstones are often set into mother’s jewelry to represent each child or grandchild. Mother’s jewelry comes in a range of styles, from simple to ornate and can be custom made to each individual style. The most popular of mother’s jewelry is the Mother’s Ring. Maertens sales manager, Kim Harkins says, "The Mother’s Ring makes an excellent gift for Mother’s Day. Mom will always be able to look down at her hand and remember her children and she’ll be able to show off to all her friends and family a gorgeous piece of jewelry that captures her most valuable asset, her kids." Styles are available in sterling silver, 14kt or 18kt gold, and platinum.
Hand Engraving: A long lost art; hand engraving is a traditional way of embellishing fine jewelry, time pieces, and silverware. Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts is unique from most area jewelry stores in that it houses a hand engraver. Heather Maertens is classically trained in the art of hand engraving and can add to the beauty of many pieces with her free hand designs. Hand engraving is a great way to personalize gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. The talented jewelers at Maertens, hand make sterling silver initial pendants that can be hand engraved with a monogram or initials. Also popular for Mother’s Day, are silhouette charms that can be engraved with the name and birth date of each child and hung on a charm bracelet or neck chain. There are also several gifts for dad that can be personalized with hand engraving. "Probably our most popular gift for dad is a sterling silver money clip, made with 1 ounce of sterling silver. It has plenty of room for engraving monograms and initials," says Kim. Other engraveable gifts for dads are cuff links, tie tacks, and watches.
Lockets: The locket might be the most sentimental gift that you can give to a mother. "We have a collection of handmade sterling silver lockets from England that are so beautifully engraved," says Kim. The lockets, by Charles Green, are available in sterling silver or 18kt gold. Charles Green is one of the oldest jewelry makers in England and has created pieces for the Queen herself. Maertens also offers lockets in 14kt gold; all of them of course, can be filled with pictures. The staff at Maertens can assist you with the sizing and placement of your pictures in the locket as well, a service which is complimentary.
Watches: Moms and dads alike enjoy fine time pieces. Maertens offers Seiko watches, the affordable and stylish brand that leads the watch industry in technology. Watches are available in many different styles and metal combinations including a new collection of rose colored watches inspired by the rising popularity of rose gold. For those extra special occasions, Maertens also showcases Oris watches, a line of fine Swiss made watches. "These watches have an inner beauty," says Darren Maertens, "they are automatic, which means they don’t take a battery. Most of the watches have a clear back so you can see the movement and all the moving parts inside the watch". "These watches," Darren adds, "are meant to be passed down from generation to generation. They are well made and accurate, and make a nice addition to any man’s wardrobe."
Don’t let this Mother’s Day or Father’s Day pass by without taking a look at all of Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts unique offerings. The sales staff is ready to help you select the perfect gift.