Nowadays, genuine craftsmanship and authentic production are rare gems to find within the fine jewelry industry. There is one company, however, that was founded on these principles in 1980.
Tucked away in Dallas’ Highland Park area stands Leverington Co., an elegant yet cozy shop, where duo Barbara and Darrell Leverington have worked for decades to design, craft and deliver handmade fine jewelry of the utmost excellence. The couple specialize in both custom and ready-to-wear designs that have a classic, polished look. Brilliantly finished stones complemented by meticulously built settings are not the only qualities that make a Leverington Co. piece so extraordinary, it is also the laborious care and passion that goes into each and every piece.
Since its inception, Leverington Co. has prided itself in the implementation of old-world manufacturing techniques and attention to detail. In order to achieve the standard of quality and precision that the company values so greatly, every single piece is designed by Barbara and then handcrafted by both husband and wife in the backroom studio of their Lovers Lane boutique. Barbara describes the initial stages of sketching a new design as simply drawing from inspirational experiences and the environment around her. Oftentimes, it’s just an inkling of an idea or rather the evolution of another that sparks her creative process. Sometimes the foundation of the design is derived from a particular stone’s shape, color and texture, while other times the sketch determines how the raw materials will be manipulated.
Each Leverington piece is crafted in the studio using traditional high-end jewelry techniques to fashion the platinum or gold design, then individual stones are set to complete the look. Any additional detailing, such as French enameling, surface texture or special treatments, is executed with an attentive eye. The Leveringtons pride themselves on this specific, extremely customized approach, which treats each piece of jewelry as a canvas for creativity and allows the customer to be engaged in the process, resulting in a timeless work of art.
When asked if the couple would ever consider incorporating timesaving machinery into their tried-and-true methods, Barbara responds, “Some technology cannot yet finesse the details and finishes of a hand-built piece, and we pride ourselves in optimizing the outcome of our jewelry.”
It makes sense—customers flock to the company for custom pieces, ranging from engagement rings and elaborate brooches to jaw-dropping colored stone jewels, because of the guaranteed level of quality.
Today, even after decades of being in the fine jewelry business, the Leveringtons continue to grow in their passion for the art form. The adoration they have for the company they’ve built together and the industry in which they’ve found their niche extends to their customers. The couple’s attitude is: “We’re not in the jewelry business, we’re in the people business.” Over the years, their company has become wildly successful, with the client base to prove it—some of the couple’s earliest customers have referred generations of family to Leverington Co. for custom jewelry work.
And if you’re wondering about the company’s future plans? Don’t worry, they’ll be around for a while. “There is much happiness in this endeavor,” Barbara says. “We have the world’s best hobby for a job.”
Joanne Xu is a part-time freelance writer and blogger living in Frisco, Texas.
