RAPAPORT...After forging a reputation for fair dealing with Zimbabwean sculptors, Spirits in Stone is following the same path with its diamond jewelry.
The name alone indicates the philosophy of the eight art-filled galleries that have sprouted up in Northern California over the past two decades. Spirits in Stone, founded by Laura and Anthony Ponter, began as a showcase for Shona sculpture, original serpentine artwork created by Zimbabwean artists, but the galleries have grown to incorporate native art from other nations, as well as fine jewelry from a handful of designers.
As Laura tells the story, it all began when she and Anthony honeymooned in his birthplace: southern Zimbabwe, then known as Rhodesia. They traveled there so Laura could meet her new father-in-law. While on the trip, the couple was struck by the beauty of the native stone artwork. They purchased some pieces, paying cash directly to the artists. So began a 15-year enterprise of traveling to Africa to buy the art directly from the artists, then bringing it back to the states and selling it on the road to consumers and collectors. They opened their first gallery in St. Helena, California, in July 1995.
According to the galleries’ website, the owners see their mission as “Acting as an educational and artistic conduit through international commerce, we tell the stories of those ancient cultures and their creative artistry. The end result is the preservation of those arts for future generations to behold.” Spirits in Stone collections include gemstone jewelry, handwoven grass baskets, ancestral wooden masks and other organic art pieces inspired by natural elements.
Anthony is in charge of buying the art on trips to Africa, is a guest speaker on the Shona art and culture, and works with museums in mounting large exhibits of Shona sculptures, often serving as their curator. In addition, he supervises the installations of large sculptures, such as the eight-foot-tall Shona sculpture recently placed by Loma Linda University in its new Beaumont Medical Center.
The galleries, ranging in size from 330 to 500 feet, catch the eye with a blaze of color from the paintings, says Laura. Shona sculptures and colorful cases of jewelry are situated throughout. The sculptures, representing the work of more than 300 independent artists, range in size from two inches high to a towering 17 feet and encompass serpentine’s amazing 225 colors.
“Zimbabwe is a mineralogical treasure-house,” Laura marvels. In addition to the plentiful and multicolored serpentine pieces, there are emeralds, aquamarines, citrines, many other colored gemstones and the most recent addition, diamonds. There is no diamond-cutting industry in the country, however, so all mined diamonds used in jewelry-making in Zimbabwe are cut in neighboring Botswana. Laura says she is highly supportive of De Beers beneficiation efforts in support of the people of Botswana.
Diamonds a Late EntryJewelry made its entrance into the galleries fairly recently, explains Laura. After the shock of 9/11, business changed and there was a need to expand the galleries’ product assortment. “I started with pearls because they are simple,” Laura says. She bought from the House of Gellner and got strong positive customer reaction. All too aware of conflict diamonds and with a stated mission to benefit Africa and its people, the Ponters were reluctant to sell diamonds.
But finally, Laura began to buy diamonds from one trusted vendor, then added pearl and diamond jewelry from Gellner. Today, Spirits in Stone carries a substantial selection of diamond jewelry, which Laura estimates contributes about 20 percent of her total sales volume. Just like her other categories, the emphasis is on high quality and beauty: VS1 and G are the lowest clarity and color grades.
The Ponters select jewelry with the same discernment as the artwork. They offer a limited selection of designer collections, but each has been carefully chosen to reflect the flavor of the gallery and to complement each other. Following the success of Gellner, the gallery added jewelry by Michael Sugarman, Michael Zobel and Sarah Graham. Each offers its own distinctive look as well as exclusivity, with limited editions and many one-of-a-kind designs. Among the current best sellers are a series of white, green and black diamond stacking rings from Sugarman and tricolored metal designs set with cognac and black diamonds from Graham. Zobel’s designs “showcase diamonds as works of art,” says Laura.
“My customers want jewelry that is bold, something that makes a great statement,” Laura says. “Anything less than 18-karat gold is not gold to them.” Some designers offer jewelry with 20- and 22-karat gold fineness.
The average retail price for diamond jewelry ranges from $2,000 to $8,000 and the sales are typically to “women of an age,” says Laura. “My female clients have their own money,” she says. “Build your own luxury high-rise,” is the slogan the gallery uses in marketing the highly popular diamond stack rings that women buy for either the right or the left hand.
Generally, the clientele for Spirits in Stone is evenly divided between tourists, who visit the wine country and other scenic California resorts, and a core of loyal local buyers, many of whom have become collectors of the art and the jewelry the galleries offer. Unlike traditional retailers who actively explore new venues, Laura says she and her husband wait for the right location to come to them. Several of the smaller towns in the wine country have invited them to set up shop there. Currently, Spirits in Stone galleries are located in Sonoma, St. Helena, Healdsburg, Sausalito, Berkeley, Santa Barbara and two in Lake Tahoe.
Learning CurveEducation is ongoing in the galleries, where shoppers spend on average a half hour admiring the artwork and learning about it, says Laura. “Our business is all about the learning. It’s extremely important to explain about the artist. Our customers are collectors looking for great masterpieces.”
In-store events are all about teaching and hands-on experience. Popular events in the past have included jewelry parties that teach clients how to grade and sort pearls, as well as personal appearances where the designers meet the customers. Inviting customers to bring in old diamond jewelry to have it restyled is another important service.
By far the most unique educational program offered by Spirits in Stone is its museum group tours. “Early on, when I wanted to learn about jewelry, I went to museums,” says Laura. “Often, I took clients with me and we learned together.” The museums ranged from San Francisco’s Palais de la Legion d’Honneur to see the Masters of French Jewelry exhibition to the source itself: the Louvre in Paris. This fall, she led a trip to the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Groups of clients who attend the exhibits range in size from 20 to 40 people.
As an extension of their commitment to promote knowledge of Zimbabwe and its artists, the Ponters coauthored Spirits in Stone, a 216-page book now in its second printing. As evidence of its authenticity, the book is used by the University of Zimbabwe as a textbook on the indigenous history of its people.
A large part of the Ponters’ work includes fundraising efforts to aid museums that promote the arts of ancient cultures and to support the Shona Artist Fund, which provides medical, education and agricultural programs for the 300 Zimbabwean artists from whom the Ponters purchase works, along with their families and villages.
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - November 2008. To subscribe click here.