From Coco Chanel’s, “Accessories are what makes or marks a woman,” to Michael Kors, “I’ve always thought of accessories as the exclamation point of a woman’s outfit,” jewelry has been the subject of many memorable quotes. For Gale Higgs (photo above), owner and founder of the recently opened G Marie Luxuries in Virginia Beach, “Jewelry is a symbol of an intimate connection.” For her, it is also an intersection of story and statement and a collaboration between artist and wearer.
Two years ago, Higgs retired from a career in commercial development, recalling that she “looked around and didn’t see a reason to develop,” and noting that development is “fraught with issues…and I didn’t want to be fraught.” But she did want meaning and purpose in her life.
Retirement is one of those junctures where people tend to look both backwards and forwards, asking themselves how they want to spend the rest of their lives. For Higgs, that meant reflecting on when she was happiest in her professional life. And that was easy: it was the decade from 1997 to 2007 when she owned Kane Marie, a Virginia Beach-based gallery that afforded her the opportunity to work with both artists and clients and to purvey “kick ass things to adorn body and home.”
So off she went to the upmarket wholesale jewelry show in Las Vegas, just to walk. There she recalls meeting many artists, which “felt like coming home.” She spent the following year watching how people wear jewelry and contemplating a profitable business that “enwraps and engages.” By the time she returned to the show in Vegas, she was all-in. While she was there, the receipt of a serendipitous text that read “I’m coming back” sealed the deal.
The sender, Carla Carter, had managed Kane Marie until 2007 when the gallery closed and she moved first to the West Coast and then to Japan, earning multiple gemologist certifications in the ensuing years. With 100% confidence in all things Carla, Higgs reports that “everything fell into place” regarding her new venture. Carter returned and began setting up all the necessary systems while Higgs started acquiring inventory.
She also began transforming the space at Marina Shores Shoppes in the former Jim White studio next to Studio Bamboo just off Great Neck Road. For design expertise, she turned to her artist and writer friend, Judy Cowling, who says, “Over the past eight years, Gale and I have worked together on many interior projects. It’s like a dance…sometimes she leads, sometimes I lead. But the end result is always better than either of us could have come up with on our own. G Marie is a reflection of Gale’s taste and my design aesthetic. We both wanted a simple yet luxurious space where the jewelry and our clients were the stars.”
Fourteen walnut jewelry counters and eight wall cases are set off below by carpets made of reclaimed fishing nets with a pattern derived from satellite images of the oceans. Above are vintage 1950s chandeliers that once graced European hotels. “It’s just different,” summarizes Gale of this space that she describes as “beautiful, chill, relaxed and organic.”
Lest the word “luxuries” scare away potential buyers, Higgs asserts that her gallery offers jewelry in every price range, from silver sculptural pieces to high end gemstones. Many pieces are one-of-a-kind artisanal works of art while others are produced in series with more polished and finished looks. But none of it is generic. And all of it is curated by Higgs in a variety of styles for a range of different bodies.
Playing matchmaker between artist, jewelry and wearer is not work for Higgs, “It’s a life path.” And that path is rich with conversations, connections and clients who become friends.
Learn more at GMarie.com.
Photos by Dave Uhrin
