Checking in with...Christina Lovejoy of MOD Jewelry:

The folks at MOD Jewelry like to think outside the jewelry box. The Costa Mesa-based company offers unique and unconventional accessories. And if you don’t see anything you like, they can custom-design an accessory that better reflects your individual style. MOD Jewelry also partners with other companies to fashion jewelry that suits different subcultures. This week, we’re checking in with the company’s chief executive, Christina Lovejoy.

Please describe what exactly Mod Jewelry Inc. does.

MOD Jewelry is a designer, manufacturer and distributor of custom, high-quality, sterling silver jewelry. We specialize in what you might call “lifestyle jewelry.” Our jewelry designs are conceptualized and themed to fit into specific lifestyles.

For example, we design, manufacture and distribute an extensive collection of sterling silver jewelry for Harley-Davidson Motor Co. We seek out companies that offer lifestyle-oriented products that consumers see as an extension of themselves. We set ourselves apart from other jewelry manufacturing companies by filling a void in the market for high-quality custom, sterling silver jewelry.

This category of jewelry is a profitable opportunity for companies wishing to expand their product line. Our goal is to increase the sales of our clients by offering them a whole new product category in which to market their brand.

The company seems to specialize in the use of silver. What attracts you to this particular metal?

We love sterling silver because it is a beautiful, natural metal to work with. Most importantly, sterling silver is a precious metal and it has an intrinsic value which resonates with our customers who are known for using quality materials in all of their products. (You won’t see a self-respecting Harley rider wearing a vinyl-leather jacket or a ring made out of lead — they are going to wear leather and a giant silver ring or 10!)

Where do you purchase your silver?

We purchase our silver from precious metal refiners in the U.S. and send it to our factory in Bali, Indonesia. The silver we use has been pre-mixed with alloys that make our jewelry brighter, whiter and tarnish-resistant when it is finished.

Approximately how long does it take to turn an idea into a fully made piece of jewelry?

We recently created a necklace collection for a local retail chain store that went from concept to sample to finished goods in less than five weeks, which is really amazing. Typically, we want to allow one to two weeks for design concept creation and approval, two weeks for sample production and four weeks for order production.

It is reasonable for our customers to expect to have finished goods in eight weeks.

What is your most requested item of jewelry?

For men, we sell mostly rings and bracelets in equal demand, and for ladies, we sell rings, earrings and charms in nearly equal demand.

What is the most unique piece of jewelry you have ever designed?

We designed a ring for a high-end designer clothing brand that utilized nearly every single type of manufacturing technique we offered in one item.

The band of the ring was cast in sterling silver, the bezel that held the centerpiece was hand-twisted gold wire, the centerpiece of the ring was a hand-carved piece of ebony hardwood that had been laser-etched with an elaborate filigree design motif, and in the center of the ebony was a hand-set gemstone, and to make it even more complex, the interior of the band was signed with the brand logo in hand-applied enamel.

When our customers ask us if we can do the impossible, I show them a photograph of this ring.

What’s fashionable in the world of jewelry right now?

In sterling silver “bridge” jewelry, we are noticing the trend is toward sentimental and inspirational jewelry. People are buying jewelry right now that makes them feel good and uplifts their spirits. I have been seeing a lot of jewelry with a message behind it — lots of hearts and peace signs!