Shepherd’s Stone
Sometimes you can love something so much you want to share it with the world.
Kind of like when Carla Thomas fell in love with Shepherd’s Stone jewelry. Now, as a designer for the company, she is happy to share her joy with each creation.
As someone with years of experience in designing jewelry, what was it about Shepherd’s Stone that drew Thomas? The answer is in the name of the product, Jesus was a shepherd, and, as it says on the company website, the stones “are emblematic of the light that shines around us and through us, reminding all who wear them what should truly guide us every day – our desire to do good.”
“The stone and the image of the cross itself made me fall in love with the project,” Thomas said. “The first time I saw it was a real ah-ha moment. It is so beautiful in its subtlety.
“The symbol of the cross on the stone is special to me because it is a subtle way to display and share my faith. Our cutting and polishing process uses light to reveal the image. It definitely impacts our sales because it is so unique.”
Thomas said it was luck that led to her discovering Shepherd’s Stone. Stone expert and company mentor Tom Shane showed her a prototype of the stone early and she said immediately saw the impact it could have. She thought the idea of a cross – almost like a hologram of a cross – on top of a beautiful colored semi-precious stone was magical.
“The single most special thing about our jewelry line is that it is truly a brand new semi-precious stone offering to the public. There is simply no other stone out there like it in today’s market,” she said.
Thomas is from Houston, but has lived between Denver and Aspen, Colorado for the past 20 years. And though she has never lived in Fort Worth, she does have a connection here.
“I do have friends there as well as a cousin by marriage. His name is Danny Deen of Deen Meats,” she said.
Her background in jewelry includes working at a national luxury brand store out of college. It inspired her to take a jewelry design course in Milan, Italy, where she ended up living for eight years.
And now she’s found the jewelry love of her life. That chance meeting, sparked by her own faith, has inspired her to design collections around the stone that appeal to a variety of personal styles for both women and men.
She also noted that Shepherd’s Stone jewelry is for everyone. After all, Jesus and his message were available for anyone who needed him, no matter their wealth or lack thereof.
Also, a portion of their sales go to Compassion International, which helps poverty-stricken children all over the world.
“We have had a lot of requests from customers for a less expensive, more giftable item. We love listening to our Shepherd’s Stone family and are happy to accommodate them by developing items under $200 in sterling silver and introducing vermeil pieces as well,” she said. “That said, our semi-precious stones in these new designs will be the exact same quality and generous proportions as our more expensive items.
“At Shepherd’s Stone we feel the world can use a little more light and faith. We hope our beautifully crafted jewelry can help do that.”