By Lori Bosworth
Torontonicity was invited to attend the open house of Erin Tracy Bridal and Fine Jewellery at the designer’s Liberty Village studio on June 5, 2014. Erin has been in business for 11 years and has been at her 1179 King Street West studio for the past four years. A collection of her fine and bridal jewellery was on display at her airy, light-filled studio.
Erin told me that she wants her jewellery to be passed down from generation to generation; thus, her designs are timeless with a modern twist. Her jewellery appeals to a broad range of tastes: some styles are a little edgy, some are classic, some have a simple contemporary design and some have a vintage feel. A graduate of Ontario College of Art, Erin enjoys pairing metals and gemstones with lesser known jewellery materials including concrete, wood and acrylic.
Erin’s jewellery can be described as fine fashion jewellery. A thriving component of her business, however, is her custom-made bridal jewellery.
This selection of jewellery demonstrates Erin’s versatility. I love both the vintage-looking lilac-stone drop earrings, and the modern Raw Fira silver and gold bangles. The gemstone rings at the top centre of the photo are in fact two rings, which can be worn together or separately.
This necklace features a simple design whose versatility means it could be worn with a cool summer dress or t-shirt and jeans.
This three-loop Sterling silver bracelet really caught my eye; I had to try it on. It looked great and was not too heavy. I also was attracted to the vintage-style link bracelet pictured at lower left. This piece transcends generations.
I love the chunky, round Raw Fira rings at the centre of the photo. What an elegant statement they would make. The double-looped gold earrings to the right also belong in my wardrobe. They could be worn for everyday elegance.
Another one of my favourite pieces of Erin Tracy’s is the large-linked Sterling silver bracelet in the photo above. This bracelet is so boldly distinctive that it could be worn without any other jewellery. It is slightly heavy on the wrist so you may not want to wear it for hours on end.
What impressed me about Erin’s jewellery aside from its highly developed aesthetic appeal, is its affordability. Many of the pieces in her fine jewellery collection are in the $150-$500 range.
Pictured above are a selection of Erin Tracy wedding bands.
Neighbouring restaurant, CaFfinO, catered the event, serving a delicious mushroom risotto, crispy sweet potato fries and pulled pork sandwiches. We were also treated to melt-in-your-mouth macarons from a local bakery and blended wines from Union Wines.
You can purchase Erin Tracy’s jewellery online or make an appointment to visit Erin’s studio at 1179 King Street West (at Fraser Avenue) in Liberty Village.
