Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester
At ICD, we can help you cherish old memories plus create new ones with an exquisitely designed ring that originates from a treasured family heirloom. In the ring pictured here, for example, we retained its 18th century charm but gave it a 21st century lift by using an original, European cut very small but elegant diamond. Call for an appointment, 238-3646, to bring in the jewelry you wish for us to transform into something absolutely “perfect!” icdjewelry.com
By Jennifer Leventhal • Melani Lust Photos
“My home is my sanctuary,” says ICD owner and Chappaqua Mom Varda Singer. Nestled in a tranquil, wooded neighborhood, Varda and Roy’s (husband Dr. Elliot Roy Singer is known as Roy) stylish, contemporary home is filled with the treasures collected from all over the world. “I love to travel and I love to be in our store, but when I come home and open the door, all the stresses of the outside world fade away, because I am surrounded by so many of my favorite things.”
Indeed, her collections are museum quality. Richly hued Roman glass, a magnificent iron Tree of Life sculpture from India, bronze sculptures from Vietnam, tribal art from Papua New Guinea, and ancient coins made of 22-karat gold and natural pearls. Scattered casually amid the beautiful bounty are small, signed photographs of her with several past presidents and dignitaries. They are not blown up and framed; they are just modestly part of Singer’s everyday surroundings.
ICD’s motto, “Timeless Elegance,” suits Varda Singer perfectly. She is both glamorous and down-to-earth. While she exudes a worldly confidence, she is also a warm and approachable mother and grandmother. And just as her Feng Shui designed home is a perfect backdrop for her art collections, her luxurious neutral dresses and suits are a fitting canvas for her own favorite pieces of jewelry. “I personally love the warmth of high karat gold jewelry, 18-karat and 22-karat gold, with special detailing and granulation,” Singer says, “I also love South Sea pearls. My favorite pieces are very organic and interesting, and those that tell a story.”
40 Years in Chappaqua
Singer and ICD have been part of the Chappaqua community for nearly 40 years. She was born in Israel, the daughter of a prominent diamond merchant. After serving in the Israeli army, she came to the United States to attend Columbia University, and then she began her career as a jeweler. In Chappaqua, she raised two children who attended Grafflin, Bell, and Horace Greeley High School. They are grown now, but live in Manhattan, so she is able to see them often and to spend time with her four beloved grandchildren, as well.
Now that Singer’s children are grown, she can say with confidence that, “A mom is a mom forever. Your children depend on you whether they’re three-years-old or 40-years-old. It’s great to now be able to communicate and consult with my children in more of a friendship role. For me, the feelings and experiences you gain from being a mother cannot compare or compete with any feelings or experiences in your other relationships.”
Earlier in her career, the balance of raising a family and running a successful business was a bit more challenging, and Singer suffered the same moments of guilt as most working mothers.
“There were some times when my children were younger that I was worried because I couldn’t be two places at one time. I think that all mothers struggle a bit with some guilt or questioning of this balance,” she says. “When my daughter was in college, I asked her if she ever felt I should have spent more time at home when she was growing up, and she replied, ‘No, mom, I felt that the quality of the time you spent with us was so wonderful, and you were a great role model to me as a working mother. I wouldn’t have wanted you to do it any other way.’ Now, she is a successful working mother, and I’m so proud to watch her balance it so well.”
Singer’s strong relationships with her extended family still create an important balance in her life as a business owner. “I carry these family values with me into the store,” she says, “which I hope creates an environment that is very warm and very welcoming.” Both clients and staff feel that sense of family.
When the February 3rd Metro North train accident took the lives of four members of the Chappaqua community, including ICD employee Ellen Brody, the outpouring of grief and love and support for the business was enormous. “Ellen was one of us, and she had a heart of gold,” says Virginia Shasha, ICD Director of Private Sales.
“We are absolutely heartbroken, but we are not only heartbroken because of Ellen. We grieve all of the losses that our community has suffered. We grieve for all of the victims and their families, and we grieve along with everyone else in Chappaqua.”
Respecting Values
The people of Chappaqua mean a lot to ICD and to Singer. Her clients are her neighbors. “I’ve had the privilege of working with several generations of families,” she says. “Their values have stayed constant, but the trends in fine jewelry have changed a bit over the years. When we first opened, the jewelry was chunkier and heavier, but today it’s more streamlined and wearable with an active lifestyle. But it’s still always classic and meaningful.”
Singer enjoys getting to know the younger generation of Chappaqua Moms. “So many of the moms in town today are professional women–whether or not they are taking some time off to raise their children,” she says. “The women who shop in Chappaqua are very worldly, intelligent, and stylish. They are fun to be with and to create pieces for.”
Custom design is a big part of ICD’s business, and Singer herself designs more than half of those pieces. She travels the world to find the very best diamonds, gemstones and South Sea pearls. “We’re doing more and more redesigning of pieces clients already own. We work with them to recreate outdated or inherited heirlooms into fresh, new, wearable works of art.”
Over the years, Singer has shared with her clients her philosophy that there is so much more to a special piece of jewelry than just the intrinsic value of the gold or the gemstones. “People today are looking for more meaning in the jewelry they wear,” she says. “They want their jewelry to be timeless and beautiful, of course, but also to bring good luck, good memories, and good Karma.”
Amy Knox of Millwood recently had the opportunity to work with Singer on a meaningful piece of jewelry. “The necklace I made with Varda was something I dreamed about for many years. Her enthusiasm for the design and truly understanding what it meant to me is what made it so special. Making a custom piece requires many steps, and Varda did all of the legwork for me and kept it fun along the way. I agree with Varda that jewelry should have meaning, whether it’s to mark a milestone or elicit a great memory. Her passion for this makes me want to work with her again when I am lucky enough to buy or design something new.
A Very Special Client
While all of Singer’s clients are important to her, she has particularly enjoyed working with President Clinton on creating custom fine jewelry for his wife, Hillary. “A couple of years ago, President Clinton brought me a gorgeous Tanzanite that he had selected and purchased in Africa, and together we designed spectacular statement ring for his wife. Then last year, we worked together to create a special bracelet for her to commemorate their new granddaughter.”
Jennifer Leventhal is a former lifestyle and fine jewelry editor. Her current venture, with partner Rachel Rader, is By the Book Fundraising, a marketing and book production company that helps non-profit organizations create meaningful fundraising tools that tell stories that donors can actually hold in their hands.
There are extra special reasons to mark your calendar and get excited for ICD’s annual sale. In an effort to make room for new collections, the staff at ICD Contemporary Jewelry is offering current collections for half its normal price, in fact, at whole share prices!
“Our customers love the opportunity of getting jewelry at the wholesale price,” says Varda Singer, owner of ICD. “This is the way we give back to so many of our loyal customers. Some have been shopping at our store for almost 40 years.”
Varda also understands that everyone appreciates a bargain from time to time. “This is the time! “ she said.
One customer who visited the store was pleased to find a sale had just kicked off on Friday. She bought four pairs of earrings–for herself and as gifts for friends. Smart lady.
“This is what it’s all about,” said Varda. “Spring cleaning for us—a bargain for our customers.”
— Grace Bennett
Products and Services:
We are a full service fine jewelry store in the heart of Armonk. We have a wide variety of fine jewelry, fashion jewelry, gift items and accessories. We also have a great selection of personalized jewelry including diamond name plates, monogram necklaces and initials. We want our customers to look and feel beautiful at any price point.
Greatest Strengths:
Spending time to get to know all our clients and what their needs are in a warm and friendly environment. We are jewelry designers, so we can customize and design the perfect piece of jewelry. If we don’t have something in stock, we will search high and low to find what our customers want!
Special Plans:
We have an amazing new selection of unique diamond designs that make the perfect Valentine’s Day Gift. We have a wish list, so she can pick out exactly what she wants! Come spring and Mother’s Day, we are planning several great trunk shows, a registry event and even a spring sidewalk sale!
ROCKS by Jolie B. Ray
Proprietors: Tanya Tochner and Marjorie Troob
In Business Since: 2011
“A lot of men like to choose jewelry for their significant other on Valentine’s Day,” said Chrissy Chapin, the Mount Kisco-based jewelry designer behind chrissychapin.com. “They can pick up a beautiful lasting piece with semi-precious stones and gold-filled chains.” Chapin created her website a year ago, although she has been designing jewelry for about five years. Her inspiration often comes from the colored gemstones that are the centerpiece of her pieces.
According to the National Retail Federation, about 20 percent of Valentine gift-buyers select jewelry, spending more than $4.4 billion on gems, gold and silver. Put another way, 11.2 percent find their Valentine gifts at jewelry stores. (More than half of gift buyers buy candy and a third give flowers.) Men will spend an average of $175.61 on jewelry, flowers and a romantic evening out.
And in a 2008 online survey by commissioned by Teleflora, when given a list of the best Valentine’s Day gifts to receive, women selected roses as the best gift to receive (32 percent); diamond jewelry as the second best gift (29 percent); and jewelry other than diamonds as the third best gift (26 percent).
Of course, that survey was done before the Great Recession. Local jewelry designers and shop owners, recognizing that more people are watching their budgets, are offering Valentine shoppers both diamonds and more reasonable options.
The Beauty of “Timeless”
“We try to help people pick out simple designs, timeless and pretty to the eye when they open it up,” said Marjorie Troob, co-owner of Rocks by Jolie B. Ray of Armonk.
“For Valentine’s Day, people like diamonds, really simple pieces. People don’t buy hearts so much. Simple diamond pieces are probably the biggest sellers for Valentine’s Day.” Versatility is a key word for Troob when she designs jewelry. Her pieces can be worn for a casual lunch with friends or a Saturday night out on the town, she said. “People are conservative today in this economy. People want to buy things they are going to wear, versus a one-time wear,” she said. “People put money in jewelry they want to wear.”
When designing jewelry, Troob keeps in mind what’s in her customers’ closet. For example, she said, “Today’s woman wears a lot of black.” So for jewelry, something simple with “a little pop of color” works well.
In addition to carrying her own designs, Troob’s store showcases pieces by other jewelers. “We try to carry designers small like us,” she said. “And we try to make every designer we sell look different, so the designers aren’t competing with each other.”
Sentimental has its Virtue too
Varda Singer, owner of ICD Contemporary Jewelry in Chappaqua and who has been in the jewelry business for the last 40 years, said Valentine’s Day gifts tend to be more sentimental, celebrating the connection between the couple.
“I usually design a line for Valentine’s Day, that goes from less expensive to more expensive,” she said. “This year, I’m designing a line of little diamond solitaire pendants, either by itself or with a little design.” They will range in price from $100 to $2,500.
It’s a cliché, Singer acknowledged, but a diamond is still a girl’s best friend. “It shows that you care and love,” she said. An unusual approach is to select a colored diamond: blue and pink. “That’s a very special gift,” Singer added.
Singer also knows her market when she designs her jewelry and selects pieces for her store. “This is a conservative area,” she explained. “Women like simple, understated jewelry, not showy. They want to wear jewelry every day, and not put it in the safe. They wouldn’t buy a tiara, so we obviously try not to sell it in a window in Chappaqua.”
“Most people in Chappaqua appreciate fine jewelry. They buy less but finer made jewelry. And they buy timeless jewelry that will last for a long time,” Singer said. Singer keeps up with fashion trends in color and clothing design when she designs her pieces. To stock her store, she travels overseas to remote villages in places like Thailand and India. And she listens to her customers. When they started buying moonstones, she stocked more jewelry made with moonstones. “We sold more moonstones than anything else this year,” said Singer.
Consider the Receiver’s Desires
“I base a lot of the designs on the gems themselves,” noted Chapin. She also thinks of the outfits that she and her sisters, nieces and friends like to wear. When buying jewelry, Chapin recommends the gift-giver think about what the receiver already likes. “Get something that matches the style they like,” Chapin explained. Some women wear delicate, simple jewelry while others go for bolder, chunkier pieces. Do they have a favorite color? Don’t buy red jewelry for Valentine’s Day if her favorite color is purple.
“I think there’s been a nice trend in jewelry where there used to be only costume, inexpensive jewelry or fine jewelry,” Chapin said. These days, she emphasized, “There is more choice now than there used to be.”