Hudson Valley Style Magazine Designer Profile: Jewelry Designer Sara Golden

Hudson Valley Style Magazine Designer Profile: Jewelry Designer Sara Golden / Phoenicia, NY

by Maxwell Alexander [ EIC ] Hudson Valley Style Magazine

Hello, Sara! What do you do and how in your opinion it impacts the World around you?

– I design and make jewelry out of my small studio in the Catskill Mountains. For so many years I designed jewelry for big companies in New York City where all the work was outsourced and where quality was too often compromised to meet sales goals. By working out of my own studio I can focus on making the best possible product, by using only genuine semi-precious stones, high-quality metals, and specialized techniques usually reserved for fine jewelry. I’m a big proponent of “quality vs. quantity” and trying to keep that alive through my jewelry.

How did you discover Hudson Valley?

– My cousin, Suysel has had a weekend home by the Ashokan Reservoir forever, and a few years ago we started spending a lot of time with them there. We fell more and more in love with the natural beauty of the area and —compared to New York City— its slower pace of life. It didn’t take long for my husband and me to figure out we wanted to have that all the time, so we hunted for a place and finally found one in Phoenicia (and not too far away from my cousin’s place, where our love for the area started!)

What is your definition of Hudson Valley Style?

– Hudson Valley Style, to me, is rustic and casual with refined elements. Because, at least in the Catskills, we’re surrounded by trees and mountains, there’s a strong emphasis on natural materials and letting the imperfections in those materials shine. But then there’s the influence from New York City, too, that adds a little polish to some of those rough edges.

Is there an object in your home that encapsulates Hudson Valley Style?

– That object would be our dining table. My husband built it from reclaimed wood, stained it a beautiful dark color, and attached modern, straight steel legs. It’s the perfect synthesis of local, found materials with an industrial touch.