Meet Louisville’s Opera Singer Turned Custom Jeweler!

Precious metals and gems symbolize beauty and class, and Sarah Martin Rowe believes jewelry is the world’s smallest memory capsule. She started her company, The Leake Co., to show clients how easy and fun jewelry design can be — and every day, she helps people create unique pieces that can be gifted from one generation to the next. Meet our newest FACE of Louisville, Sarah Martin Rowe!

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How and when did you get into the jewelry business?

I’ve been in the industry for about 10 years. Before that, I was an opera singer, so being around the luxury industry has always been a thing. I made the transition into jewelry because it’s another beautiful art form. Over the past decade, I worked for independent retailers, was fortunate enough to work for a luxury designer brand, then I opened The Leake Co. in 2021.

Though opera and fine jewelry are all about luxury, those are still two very different industries. What brought on the change?

Well, I’ve always loved antique jewelry. During my college years, my mom and I would make it a point to visit fine jewelry auctions. We didn’t ever buy anything, but it was a fun thing that we could do together. When I was transitioning out of opera, I had just purchased the most beautiful art deco platinum diamond ring. It was my first big important jewelry purchase, and I just remember looking at it — it was the most intricate, beautiful, handmade ring, and it was fascinating to me.

When I needed a new career path after opera, I was looking for jobs, and a friend connected me to a local jewelry retailer here in town. They were wonderful enough to take me under their wing. As part of the interview process, I was asked to describe my most recent jewelry purchase — and I had just purchased that beautiful art deco ring. I still have that ring today, and I feel like that was really the jumping-off point to starting my new career.

What are workdays like now that you’re running your own jewelry business?

My days are always changing! We’re a by-appointment studio, which means I’m a solopreneur, and I work one-on-one with every client. Typically, we get packages in the morning. I process those packages and usually use the rest of that time to design. I’m working on clients’ custom designs and updating their design boards to make sure that they’re in the know. Then in the afternoons, we take and focus on appointments. A typical appointment is about an hour — it’s an opportunity for us to kick back and have some fun. Usually, in the evenings, we pick up repairs, appraise items, and finish up other tasks we’ve been working on during the day. No two days are exactly alike, and it’s a blast!

Do you have anyone else helping you?

Yes. I do all the design, and as our gemologist, I also do all the casting, ordering, and matching of gemstones. But I have three bench jewelers working with me to make the vision come to life. They’re really the heart of fabricating and making sure that our pieces look amazing. With their help, our typical production time is about four weeks — but sometimes, we’re able to get pieces done in half that time.

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What’s the best part about what you do?

It is the moment of pure, unadulterated joy of delivering an item to someone. I have seen all the behind-the-scenes of it — I’ve seen it being cast, I’ve seen the stones set, I’ve seen the design — but the client hasn’t seen that just yet. And the moment they open the box and see all the work we’ve put into the piece is magical. You can’t fake it; it’s the most pure, exciting moment for a client. What’s even better is seeing them either gift it to the intended and see them use it as their heirloom or out in the wild wearing it. It’s a real pleasure.

A lot of your clients come to you for engagement rings. What types of trends are you noticing with these pieces?

Our clients tend to fall into two different categories. We have the traditional client who wants our most popular cuts: ovals, rounds, and cushions. I’m seeing a big trend in yellow gold, especially 18-karat yellow gold. These clients want very simple, classic clean lines and traditional silhouettes. In these cases, the iconic solitaire is very pared down and minimal.

We also have very artistic clients that want something completely different. Our biggest trend with these clients is salt-and-pepper diamonds in interesting hexagons or rose cuts — off-the-wall, unique cuts. We’re also seeing a lot of Montana sapphires with our more artistic clients. But I think that with all clients, our biggest request right now is lab-grown diamonds, which I’m a big proponent of — and they’ve been taking the industry by storm.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about custom jewelry?

Many people get intimidated by custom jewelry, and I wish they knew that it’s much easier than you might think. We cast everything here in the States, and we make and hand-assemble pieces right here in Louisville, so there isn’t a lot of outsourcing necessary. I think clients also get scared about not being able to see the piece before receiving it, but we do 3D movie renderings and 3D print prototypes right here in the studio. So, the client gets to be part of the collaborative project the entire way, and they get to see every single step — even down to the raw casting of the piece. We also have pieces to fit any budget. Custom pieces start at about $1,500, and we have a design library of more than 10,000 styles with pieces that range from $200 to $500,000.

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What’s next for The Leake Co.?

I’m debuting a whole new collection in January 2023 called Dichotomy. Though we design every type of style for our clients, my personal style vacillates between very clean lines with a sweet, elevated, and glamorous look and just a little bit of rock and roll. I like a little bit of sharpness, a little bit of edge. I tend to like very interesting juxtapositions of styles that translate well into everyday outfits, so that’s what this lab-grown diamond collection will be. The pieces can go with you to a concert, or they can go with you to a gala. There’s a little bit of sugar and spice.

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What is the best advice you’ve ever given or received?

It’s advice that I received from my husband. He said your daily goal in business is not to solve all the problems or check everything off your to-do list. The primary goal should just be to move the needle, to make one step every single day.

Aside from faith, family, and friends, what are three things you can’t live without?

A good pair of black boots, a good cup of espresso, and my Apple pencil.

All photography by Amanda Graves Photography.

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