Maertens Fine Jewelry and Gifts debuts new design - SoMdNews.com
“People just love mermaids,” said Heather Maertens, jewelry designer and owner of Maertens Fine Jewelry and Gifts, about her first mermaid design that just became the newest addition to the store’s Penny James jewelry collection.
“People have been asking for one for years, and I wanted it to be perfect,” Maertens said. “It’s changed so much. I’ve had different ideas on how she should be swimming and what she should be doing, and then finally this one just fell into place.”
“I think it’s almost like if you have a nautical jewelry collection, it’s like the mermaid is the center of it,” Maertens added. “That’s just how people see a mermaid. To us, it’s almost like the queen. So, that’s why I put the trident in her hand, because I wanted the first one to look important.”
To celebrate the event, Maertens Fine Jewelry announced the store will host a debut party tomorrow, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., so people can stop in and take their first peek at the new mermaid pendants.
“We’ll have refreshments and prizes throughout the day,” Maertens said. “They’ll all be on display, because there’s a silver version, a silver and 14-karat yellow version, and a silver and 14-karat rose version.”
The design's debut also marks the start of a contest to give the store’s mermaid a name. Maertens said participants can enter their name suggestion for a chance to win a sterling silver mermaid pendant.
“They can call us or email us, or put the name on a social media post,” Maertens said. “The meaning can be as simple as ‘When I looked at her, that’s just what I thought,’ but if there’s a special meaning, we do want to know.”
Maertens said people can also place their name entry at her store for the contest that’s scheduled to end at midnight, Dec. 23.
“It’s very pretty,” remarked Calvert resident Jane Gary about Maertens’ mermaid design. “She’s come up with so many new and wonderful pieces. Her cross is one of my favorites, and her seahorse. Several of my friends have her jellyfish, and it moves.”
“She does such beautiful work,” Gary said. “The whole store is wonderful to be with and work with for one thing or another, whether you’re just getting a battery change in your watch.”
Maertens Fine Jewelry and Gifts, located at 11743 H.G. Trueman Road in the Lusby Commons Shopping Center, features unique pieces by fine jewelry designers, nautical inspired collections, designer handbags and accessories, homewares and gift items, and offers jewelry repair, watch repair, custom jewelry design, appraisal, engraving and gold buying services.
The store is also home to the Penny James collection of jewelry that includes whimsical sea creatures and nature pieces inspired by the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Jewelry in the collection is designed and crafted by Maertens herself in precious metals and set with genuine, handpicked gemstones and diamonds.
“Most pieces are inspired by the region now,” Maertens said. “I have started to branch out. There’s a tree of life, there’s a cross, and so they’re inspired by special moments or memories, things like that. Every piece has a story.”
Maertens was raised in Calvert County and attended Gem City College in Quincy, Ill., where she studied jewelry design and jewelry manufacturing and was taught the art of making jewelry from scratch.
“We even made our own tools and everything. I also learned hand engraving there,” Maertens recalled.
“When I came home, I had a little workshop in my home and I started making pieces,” Maertens said. “The first piece I made was a little Christmas ornament pendant, and I actually had it in some of the shops around here.”
Over the years, Maertens’ unique jewelry design offerings continued to grow. In 2002, she opened her own full-service store, Maertens Fine Jewelry and Gifts, where her entire line of handcrafted jewelry is showcased as the Penny James collection. Pieces in the collection are available at 32 stores in states along the East Coast.
“I knew that I wanted to do more than just work from a workshop at home and make jewelry,” Maertens said. “I knew I wanted to sell other people’s designs and things like that, too.”
“We really are a community type of store,” Maertens added. “We give to everything we can. We try to support in any way that we can. So, that’s something that’s always been important to us since the day we opened.”
“My ideas are endless,” Maertens said. “People should stay tuned for more designs.”
For more information on Maertens Fine Jewelry and Gifts, or the store’s mermaid name contest, go to www.facebook.com/maertensjewelry or www.maertensjewelry.com.
