It's tough out there for jewelers right now. Jewelers that specialize in unique pieces utilizing colored gemstones and more creative designs are perhaps a bit more vulnerable for not focusing the bread-and-butter basic pieces. After seeing some jewelers head for bankruptcy or closure, I decided to celebrate one of the innovators in the business. Canadian couple Julie and Jacob Buckareff who design as JJ Buckar create gorgeous designs using a variety of colored gemstones including tourmalines, sapphires and garnets as well as diamonds. Designs from JJ Buckar have received honors in the 2009 AGTA Spectrum Awards competition hosted by the American Gem Trade Association.

How is the brand faring in the recession? I asked Jacob Buckareff who says that if has "definitely been a rough ride since last November." As you might suspect, he's keenly aware of the fact that brands like Michael Beaudry, Doris Panos, and most recently Henry Dunay have filed Chapter 11. One of the key issues for jewelers is being cautious in whom they extend credit to; in fact, this is something Henry Dunay mentioned in his recent interview on JCK. Buckareff predicts that the brands that do survive the challenging next couple of years will keep a tight leash on spending. He reports that while his company has seem a sharp reduction in sales the fact that they are a small company with low overhead has helped. Like many design companies, JJ Buckar has had to reduce the number of new pieces they are able to complete for stock. Special order commissions including custom bridal designs are helping to keep the company afloat and they also offer custom work to the trade through their casting shop, The Casting Haus. With beautiful designs like the ones in the gallery below, we hope they keep designing for many years to come.