Senior Editor Lenore Fedow learned a lot when she took a behind-the-scenes factory tour with the jewelry brand earlier this year.
One of my favorite aspects of my job here at National Jeweler is that I’m always learning something new.
I’ve been an National Jeweler editor for more than six years now (unbelievable!) and I’m not sure I’ve even scratched the surface of all the knowledge the jewelry industry holds.
I’ve learned a lot about retail, marketing, diamonds, and colored gemstones, and met with many designers and brands.
I’ve earned my applied jewelry professional (AJP) certificate from GIA and completed a pearls course offered by the Cultured Pearl Association of America.
Something I didn’t know much about until recently is perhaps the most crucial link in the jewelry supply chain—how the jewelry is made.
I did spend one day as a bench jeweler at the Miami Jewelry School on a press trip with Platinum Guild International in 2024. (My takeaway from that experience was, I am not ready to be a bench jeweler!)
So, when Tacori reached out and asked if I’d like to fly out to Los Angeles for a behind-the-scenes tour of its design studio, I said yes.
My previous “Out & About” story was about my trip to Maryland to see Tacori’s new shop-in-shop experience, so I thought I knew the brand pretty well.
Yet, as I’m constantly discovering, there is always more to learn.
In late April, I arrived at the studio with a handful of fellow journalists. The outside is understandably nondescript but the inside is very Tacori, with its branding and signature blue hue seen throughout the space.
The biggest surprise for me was how many bench jewelers were there, especially given the shortage I’ve so often heard about.
I’m also always curious what people’s offices look like, from the wall art to the personal touches.
Well, another surprise was that CEO Paul Tacorian and Head of Design Nadine Tacorian Azerounian don’t have offices.
While their father, Tacori founder Haig Tacorian, has an office, Paul and Nadine’s desks are out in the open on the work floor. It makes for better communications, they said.
There was a friendly vibe throughout the design studio, which makes sense considering how all these moving parts need to work together throughout this long process.
For the visual learners, I take you through Tacori’s jewelry-making process via an Instagram Reel on the National Jeweler account, which you can watch below.
I’m sure many of our readers already know how this works, but I’d bet there are many of you out there who, like me, will be fascinated by the process.
Nadine led our tour and, as the brand’s head of design, had a lot of insight into the design process, including classics, like the Tacori Crescent, and the new designs that debuted at Couture in June.
The designs travel from the team’s imagination to a CAD sketch, which look incredibly realistic, by the way. Then, using a 3D printer, they create a wax mold.
The molds are then filled with liquid metal. The wax melts away and you’re left with your design.
Then comes the polishing, the stone setting, and the finishing touches.
I walked away from my visit with Tacori with two key takeaways.
First, I had no idea how much of this work was done by hand.
When I think of manufacturing, I envision assembly lines and machines spitting out finished products.
Despite all the fancy equipment and expensive machines I saw at Tacori, a lot of work was still done by a bench jeweler.
I can only imagine the training it takes to create these intricate, delicate designs out of metal.
Bringing manufacturing back to America is a hot topic, and so it was interesting to see what that entails and just how many skilled workers we’d need to make that happen.
My second takeaway was how enthusiastic everyone was about their own department.
Paul and Nadine seemed genuinely excited to show us around.
The casting department was ready to explain every step of the process.
The diamond sorters wanted to show us how their machines worked.
The people who set the stones couldn’t wait to explain to us what French pavé is.
I imagine they were eager to share their contributions to the process with us because their work goes unseen and unnoticed by the general public.
People may be familiar with brands and designers, but they don’t think about who’s polishing the metal or setting the stone.
It reminded me of jewelry designer Marla Aaron’s acceptance speech at Gem Awards in 2024, when she thanked the bench jewelers on 47th Street who bring her designs to life.
It’s all nebulous creativity until a craftsperson turns an idea into a tangible piece of jewelry.
The employees at Tacori take a lot of pride in their work and it shows in the final product.
The industry has been having conversations about how to solve the bench jeweler shortage and inspire the next generation to take up the trade, and I hope my bringing awareness to the importance of the work is a small contribution to the cause.