Jay Strongwater

"Bling for the Home"

Jay Feinerg born in Chicago,  moved east to become a fashion designer, where Jay entered college at the Rhode Island School of Design. In 1981 he got his big break when his mom wore some of his painted beads into a local boutique and they ordered some...then Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Gooman and Saks. Soon he was creating jewelry for Oscar de la Renta's runway models. He sold the rights and the next year he started over as Jay Strongwater. Christmas 1994 Jay took pieces of glitzy earrings and filigreed jewelry and attached them to picture frames, creating instant objects of desire.

The look is Faberge meets Liberace. Elaborate enamelwork is paved with brilliant Swarovski crystals set in metal shaped like bugs, birds, reptiles, flowers, vines and assorted jungle beast. Mouth-blown glass has been added to create a line of vases, apothecary jars and shades for sconces.

Most of the work is done in Cranston, R.I. He has 120 talented designers who every day produce these pieces by hand. The largest works can take several weeks to fabricate.

Jay counts Elton John, Tom Hanks, and Whoopie Goldberg among collectors.