JOCELYNN BROWN

Jewelry designer creates ‘posh style’

Jocelynn Brown
The Detroit News

Angela Anthony first fell in love with designing and creating jewelry back when she “use to dibble and dabble” with the art as a teenager.

“When I was in high school, I made jewelry and my classmates were interested in it. Then when I became a teacher, I would wear the jewelry to school and the other teachers became interested. I started selling the jewelry I made,” said Anthony, who’s been an elementary school teacher with Detroit Public schools for the past 28 years.

Four years ago, the Farmington Hills resident started a jewelry making business called Posh and Stone. She makes bold wearable art with large wire wrapped agate stones as the focal point for many of her unique and fashionable pieces, including chokers, necklaces, bracelets and rings.

Anthony travels to Los Angeles and New York to purchase gemstones and other jewelry making supplies. “I also go to gem shows here in Michigan,” she said, “and in the future, I plan to start sourcing my own gemstones by going up north to find gemstones on the lakes, and going through the process of cutting and drilling them.”

Her creativity is inspired by “both nature and a love of style.” She said, “I’ve always had an eye for style. I know what I like, and it seems everybody likes what I like. I just put together different patterns and beads and come up with something, and sometimes I do look at trends and see what’s popular.”

With a customer base of mostly women 25 and older, Anthony said, “I try to do pieces that appeal to a mass audience.” Many of her pieces coordinate with others in the collection. She recently started making gemstone bracelets for men.

Anthony sells her work at local shows, and receives orders on her website (poshandstone.com) from across the country, but said she’s looking forward to finding more ways to grow her business when she retires.

“I’m always looking into new techniques, so now I am getting into more metalsmithing. I have taken a metalsmithing course, and I’m incorporating more metal with the gemstones,” said Anthony. She adds either sterling silver, pewter, copper or brass to her work as a way to enhance the beauty of the gemstones.

Prices for Posh and Stone jewelry designs range from about $24-$120 per item. Customers can take advantage of a 30 percent off “holiday sale” on their entire purchase, now through Dec. 31, at poshandstone.com. Use code: “Happy30.”

And, just in time for holiday gift giving, Anthony will be selling her work at the following shows: Holiday Expo, Dec. 3 (Franklin Athletic Club, 29350 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield); Noel Night, Dec. 3 (N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art, 52 E. Forest, Detroit), and Real Detroit Events & Detroit Mercantile Co. Mitten Market, Dec. 17 (Royal Oak Farmers Market, 316 E. Eleven Mile, Royal Oak).

Detroit News Columnist Jocelynn Brown is a longtime Metro Detroit crafter. You can reach her at (313) 222-2150, jbrown@detroitnews.com or facebook.com/DetroitNewsHandmade.

Contact Angela Anthony at (248) 956-1968 or poshandstone.com. Email: contact@poshandstone.com.