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Meg Carroll recently moved her jewelry studio and gallery, Meg C Jewelry Gallery, from its original downtown location to The Summit at Fritz Farm. Photo by Hattie Quik
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Equipped with professional training in metalsmithing and jewelry design, Carroll makes unique, elegant pieces with a commiment to ethically sourced materials. Photo by Hattie Quik
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Equipped with professional training in metalsmithing and jewelry design, Carroll makes unique, elegant pieces with a commiment to ethically sourced materials. Photo by Hattie Quik
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Equipped with professional training in metalsmithing and jewelry design, Carroll makes unique, elegant pieces with a commiment to ethically sourced materials. Photo by Hattie Quik
Perched in the workshop space of her retail store, jeweler and entrepreneur Meg Carroll is living an artist’s dream: spending every day honing her craft while earning a respectable living doing what she loves.
Carroll – known to her followers by the name of her jewelry gallery and boutique, Meg C – became enchanted by jewelry when she was a little girl rifling through the treasures of costume jewelry in her grandmother’s iconic red handbag. That enchantment led to a love of fashion and design, with Carroll first studying fashion merchandising in London, England. Originally from Long Island, she later enrolled in a basic metals course at the Fashion Institute of New York, which cemented her love of jewelry design and craftsmanship. After earning a degree in metalsmithing and design, Carroll acquired real world experience, including a stint working at a mom-and-pop jewelry shop in Vermont, before studying with nationally known jeweler Blaine Lewis at his New Approach School for Jewelers.
After relocating to the Bluegrass in 2011, Carroll wasted no time making her mark on the local jewelry scene, opening a small gallery on North Mill Street the following year. From renovating the store’s display aesthetic to keeping the books to making jewelry, Carroll’s downtown business was a one-woman show – and a successful one at that. Her Kentucky-shaped pendants became a popular item sold by eclectic local retailer Kentucky for Kentucky, and her playful and delicate aesthetic inspired admirers of her work to commission countless original pieces.
Earlier this year, Carroll seized an opportunity to expand her business, relocating to the upscale south Lexington shopping center The Summit at Fritz Farm.
“The whole concept of the outdoor shopping destination appealed to me because it still kind of has a little ‘village/downtown’ sort of feel, even though it is a mall destination,” says Carroll. “I was just excited to be a part of something brand new, and all the other stores sounded like they would have a similar kind of clientele.”
Carroll says the move is paying off.
“There’s been a lot more foot traffic; and people who recognize my name but had never been in the store have come in the store, so that’s been great,” says Carroll. “A lot of my regulars have still come down and were pleasantly surprised by the whole Summit experience.”
Carroll has also expanded the gallery’s hours to seven days a week and added three employees to her payroll. She also now carries pieces by seven additional designers. Prices range from $65 to $4,000, with most pieces falling in the $500 range.
“I chose them because I admired their craftsmanship and aesthetic,” says Carroll of the other artists whose lines she carries in her shop. “They’re all really unique but are still approachable and wearable [and] something you’re not going to see anywhere else in Lexington.”
Carroll has grown her own collections since the move, expanding her geometric collection and adding additional colored stones to her designs, including an engagement-ring line that she is working on.
“I have a few little mini collections that I’ve launched since moving,” says Carroll. “I just kind of expanded on what I had downtown and added to that.”
Carroll’s new space has retained much of the ambiance of her Mill Street location.
“My workspace is still in the back – it’s a little smaller, so you can see me working most of the time,” says Carroll. “It’s actually a smaller space than downtown but is more open and has a more of light and airy feel. I still have all my cases and the purple block displays. I brought the same character from the downtown store here, but everything is a little brighter and newer.”
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With her studio and gallery celebrating five years, Carroll has been growing her own collection, including a new engagement ring line that’s in the works. She also carries pieces by seven additional carefully curated designers. Photo by Hattie Quik
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With her studio and gallery celebrating five years, Carroll has been growing her own collection, including a new engagement ring line that’s in the works. She also carries pieces by seven additional carefully curated designers. Photo by Hattie Quik
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With her studio and gallery celebrating five years, Carroll has been growing her own collection, including a new engagement ring line that’s in the works. She also carries pieces by seven additional carefully curated designers. Photo by Hattie Quik
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With her studio and gallery celebrating five years, Carroll has been growing her own collection, including a new engagement ring line that’s in the works. She also carries pieces by seven additional carefully curated designers. Photo by Hattie Quik
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With her studio and gallery celebrating five years, Carroll has been growing her own collection, including a new engagement ring line that’s in the works. She also carries pieces by seven additional carefully curated designers. Photo by Hattie Quik
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With her studio and gallery celebrating five years, Carroll has been growing her own collection, including a new engagement ring line that’s in the works. She also carries pieces by seven additional carefully curated designers. Photo by Hattie Quik
As for ideas for her designs? They can come from anywhere, but often it is the customers themselves who bring in ideas to bounce around for custom pieces.
“I do a lot of custom work so that’s usually what I’m working on – engagement rings and wedding bands, things like that,” says Carroll. “When I have the time to work on my jewelry, I get inspired by stones or I find inspiration a lot of different places. A lot of things just kind of evolve – often a custom piece I am doing will inspire something else.”
Carroll is especially proud of her business’ commitment to ethically sourced materials.
“All of our jewelers use recycled materials and conflict-free gemstones to sustainably sourced materials, so you can feel good about wearing it,” she said.
WEAR/Where: A Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition
On display Oct. 3-Jan. 2 • Meg C Gallery
The Summit at Fritz Farm
This month, in conjunction with the five-year anniversary of Meg C Jewelry Gallery, the gallery will launch its inaugural invitational jewelry exhibition. Featuring wearable art jewelry by 26 designers from around the United States, the exhibit explores the unique aspects of contemporary jewelry, representing a broad spectrum of materials and techniques with pieces for sale ranging from $250-$700. An opening reception and cocktail party will take place Oct. 13, 5-9 p.m.