From electronics to gems

A new jewelry store opened downtown this week — and it’s the result of a Laguna woman’s decision to change course in her life.

Left Turn Jewelry, at 305 Forest Ave., opened for business Thursday and will be celebrating its grand opening until Sunday.

Judy Klimek, long-time Laguna Beach resident and designer for Left Turn, has had her pieces featured in numerous Orange County boutiques, such as Mi Place, On Que Style and Tutta Bella.

Although Klimek began her career as a businesswoman in the electronics field, her passion for collecting gemstones from around the world eventually led her to transform what was once a hobby into a business. Her 25 years of experience in gemstone necklace design and GIA training has further compelled her to take the next step.

“We now feel it is time for our own location where our clients have a variety of artful jewelry options to select from,” said Left Turn spokesperson Liz Wilkes.

According to Wilkes, officials in the Planning Commission felt Left Turn would be a nice fit for the Laguna Beach community.

“It was unanimous that there was a perfect synergy between Left Turn and the artistic quality of Laguna Beach,” Wilkes said.

Klimek oversees the gemstone purchases and meets personally with various dealers and buyers to find the stones for her pieces. Her buyers and dealers find their gemstones all over the world, including Asia and South America. All gemstones are hand selected by Klimek and vary in size, shape and carat weight. Her goal is to create bold pieces that are unique and unexpected.

“Left Turn Jewelry is about exploring new territory, having fun, and looking great. It’s about taking the unpaved road and making a left turn,” Klimek said.

Although Wilkes feels that the jewelry at Left Turn can’t be compared to any other jewelry designs, she said that the type of gemstone pieces that are characteristic of Left Turn have been gaining increasing popularity.

“In the last few weeks I’ve noticed a trend in InStyle magazine of celebrities wearing gemstones in their natural state. Angelina Jolie, for example, wore those big emerald earrings at the Academy Awards. We have a lot of jewelry in that style,” Wilkes said.

Wilkes also cited Salma Hayek and Heidi Klum as other celebrities who are following the trend of giving their diamonds and pearls a rest and turning to unique gemstones like tiger’s eye and lapis instead.

Left Turn also specializes in vintage jewelry, using gemstones and pendants that sometimes come from already existing pieces and reconstructing them into new pieces for the collection. While Klimek’s other jewelry is either precisely cut or left in its natural state, her vintage pieces are purposely left in the state they were found to maintain their vintage feel.

Grand opening offerings include a 10% discount to the first 50 purchasing customers and a gift valued at $150 for the month of July. Wine and appetizers will also be served until Sunday.

For more information on the gemstones used in Klimek’s pieces, visit www.leftturnjewelry.com.