Bauble Talk

Gemelli Collection designer on bling, celebrities and Skinny Pirates

Not everyone can say they knew what they wanted to be when they grew up, but Claire Morgan can. She's been designing jewelry since the tender age of 8. "When I was young, I would make jewelry with fishing line and sell it to flower girls for weddings," she says.

Today, the Dallas resident and Texas Christian University graduate has her own line called Gemelli, available online and at stores throughout the country, including Original Octane, Epic Apparel and St. Bernard Sports in Dallas. The sparkly, nature-inspired collection of necklaces and bracelets has become a celebrity favorite, and it's about to get another high-profile moment when it's featured on Extra TV on August 7.

Morgan's love for beads and baubles has remained constant. Here's some insight into the blinged-out world of the Gemelli designer.

"The biggest form of flattery is seeing someone I don't know wearing my designs," says Gemelli designer Claire Morgan.

CultureMap: Did you have a formal jewelry design education?

Claire Morgan: I did not. I majored in fashion merchandising at TCU and completed an internship with Gucci in New York City, so I always had a love for design and fashion.

CultureMap: What was the inspiration for your line?

CM: I always try and create vibrant, colorful pieces of jewelry that are trend-savvy and wearable for all ages. I love to incorporate stones and other raw materials, with crystals and jewel tone accents. I am also very conscious to create pieces that women can wear with every article of clothing and that can transition from day to night.

CultureMap: Who is the Gemelli girl?

CM: I love designing jewelry that is compatible with any style, and I have created different collections that can be mixed and matched with each other. My ultimate goal is to make a women feel confident and beautiful in my designs. It may be a simple, dainty piece of jewelry or a bling-bling statement piece. No matter your style, you will be noticed in a Gemelli design.

CultureMap: How do you choose materials?

CM: I chose my materials by their quality and how unique they are. I enjoy going to rock shows, finding rare gems and stones to incorporate into my designs.

CultureMap: How did you react when Gemelli first took off?

CM: I am very grateful and overjoyed that my hobby has grown into a successful business so quickly. No matter how many celebrities wear my designs or how big the stores are that Gemelli is in, the biggest form of flattery is seeing someone I don't know wearing my designs.

CultureMap: Did you ever expect stars like Hayden Panettiere and Vanessa Hudgens to wear your jewelry?

CM: No. I am blown away that celebrities I admire are wearing my designs, and I greatly appreciate their support.

CultureMap: What's the best advice you've received?

CM: My dad has given me the best advice. I cannot pinpoint the best piece, because he gives me great advice daily.

CultureMap: What are five things you can't live without?

CM: My Chanel lip gloss, Paradise Bakery cookies, Captain Morgan and Diet Coke (also known as a Skinny Pirate), FaceTime with my family, and the Gemelli team ("G" Team).

Gemelli Collection designs blend stones with crystals and jewel-tone accents.

Photo courtesy of Gemelli

Gemelli Collection designs blend stones with crystals and jewel-tone accents.

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Busted

Counterfeit Richard Mille watches worth $2.6M seized at DFW Airport

Photo courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection

A counterfeit Richard Mille watch seized at DFW Airport.

Eleven counterfeit Richard Mille watches with a potential retail value of $2.6 million have been seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

According to a release from the agency, the watches, shipped from China and bound for destinations across the southeastern United States, were found to bear fake trademarks belonging to the Swiss luxury watchmaker. CBP trade experts determined the watches were inauthentic and intercepted the shipment, the agency says.

To be clear: The $2.6 million figure represents what the watches would have been worth at the manufacturer's suggested retail price had they been genuine, not the value of the knock-off pieces.

“The sale of fake goods often funds criminal organizations involved in money laundering, drug trafficking, and other illicit trade,” CBP Area Port Director Jayson Ahern says in the release. “Our CBP officers are on the front lines every day guarding against defrauders, while protecting legitimate American businesses who are often harmed by these criminal organizations.”

Counterfeit watches are among a range of products targeted by CBP, which says handbags, wallets, apparel, footwear, jewelry, and consumer electronics are also frequently faked.

"Illegitimate sales are some of the most profitable transnational crimes," the agency says in the release. "Counterfeiters sell inauthentic versions of popular products in response to trends, often through online sources, which adversely impacts legitimate U.S. businesses.

These items include fake medications, perfumes, cosmetics, children’s toys and costumes, fashion, jewelry, and luxury products, and unsafe electronics and automotive parts, which can pose serious health and safety risks as they are often made with substandard or harmful materials."

Counterfeit goods can often be spotted by their inferior quality, they say: "Peeling labels, low-quality ink or printing errors on the packaging, and the quality of the packaging can be signs that the product you purchased may not be legitimate. Counterfeit apparel and handbags may feature poor or uneven stitching, be improperly sized, or not exist as a product the designer brand produces at all. The performance of counterfeit electronics is often marked by short battery life and regular overheating."

CBP recommends buying directly from brand owners or authorized retailers and checking online sellers' reviews and contact information before making a purchase. Its Truth Behind Counterfeits campaign offers more information about spotting fake merchandise and understanding the risks.

"Remember that if the price of a product seems too good to be true, it probably is," they say.

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