With celebrity clients such as Amy Adams and Claire Danes, 22 shops nationwide carrying her products (including Material Possessions, 704 N. Wabash Ave.), and a brisk business on QVC, Graziela Kaufman is ready to take her traditional yet edgy jewelry line, Graziela Gems, to the next level: The 43-year-old São Paulo native hopes to start selling in department stores this fall. “My love for jewelry and gemstones started when I was little,” says Kaufman, who, as a child, watched her grandfather make jewelry in Italy. Today she lives in a Tudor-style house in Highland Park with her husband, John, and their four sons. Here are some of her favorite things.
Restoration Hardware chandelier
($995 for similar style, 938 W. North Ave.)
“Reminds me of Colorado.”
Graziela Gems silver and topaz earrings
($290, grazielagems.com)
“My new obsession.”
L’Eau Serge Lutens perfume
($110 for 50 milliliters, barneys.com)
“Crisp, fresh fragrance without a flowery, woodsy smell.”
Chanel lip gloss in Twinkle
($30, Macy’s, 111 N. State St.)
“I’ve worn this for 20 years!”
Jimmy Choo patent leather pumps
($595, 835 N. Michigan Ave.)
“It’s either very high heels or flats. Nothing in between.”
Graziela Gems silver and gold-plated zircon ear cuffs
($170 for a pair)
“The definition of wearability.”
Dialmax precision gauge
($36, riogrande.com)
“It’s old, but it’s my favorite tool [for making jewelry].”
Arlene Byster custom desk
(bysterstudios.com)
“Doors, drawers, and space for jewelry trays on both sides.”
Vintage vase
“I have 30 foo dog vases dated 1912 to 1920.”
Bulgari 18-karat gold watch
($27,400 for similar style, 909 N. Michigan Ave.)
“A good machine and an exquisite piece of jewelry.”