The creative force behind the Max Strauss Designer Series leaves behind a bestselling legacy, a tribute pendant, and a scholarship that will shape the next generation of Canadian jewellery designers.
She once walked the floor of the New York jewellery show wearing a necklace of plastic pearls and gummy bears. The piece drew admirers all day. Even the Mikimoto team stopped to look. However, they could hardly believe what they saw. A designer behind million-dollar commissions was wearing candy around her neck. That was jewellery designer Jane Parker. Serious about design. Never serious about herself.
Who Was Jewellery Designer Jane Parker?
Born in Hanna, Alberta in 1959, Parker described her role as the architect, not the builder. In fact, she never stood at the bench. Instead, she drew. Her renderings were so precise that customers could see the finished piece before any gold was cast. As a result, her career took off. She designed for Maison Birks and Brinkhaus. Then, in 1990, she won a Diamonds International Award. Moreover, by the late 1990s, roughly half the jewellery on the Home Shopping Network carried her designs.
Above all, her legacy is the Max Strauss Designer Series and its bestselling RRH2246 right-hand ring. It proved that a Canadian-designed diamond line can compete with anything imported.
What Is the Jane Parker Tribute Pendant?
To honour jewellery designer Jane Parker, Max Strauss has created a tribute pendant in her signature style. In addition, a portion of proceeds supports the Jane Parker Jewellery Design Scholarship Fund, established by her family. Consequently, every pendant sold helps train a future Canadian designer.
Why the Keeper of the Craft Issue Matters
Parker’s tribute appears in the Keeper of the Craft issue. This landmark edition documents 100 independent Canadian jewellers. Each one is family-owned and has served the same community for at least 25 years. The list runs from Hemsleys, established in 1870, to the fifth-generation benches of small-town Ontario. In other words, it is a permanent historical record of the Canadian jewellery trade. Parker’s story belongs in it. After all, she proved the craft’s keepers include those who never stood at the bench.
Read the complete Jane Parker tribute in print. Subscribe today to receive the Keeper of the Craft issue delivered to your door. Subscribe for more.
