Meet Margaret Rowe

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Margaret Rowe. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Margaret , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Finding your purpose is a deeply personal journey, but here are some steps that can guide you:
1. Reflect on what energizes you: Think about moments when you felt most alive, engaged, or fulfilled. What were you doing? Who were you with? These clues can point to what matters to you.
2. Identify your values: What principles are most important to you—freedom, creativity, connection, service, growth? Your purpose often aligns with your core values.
3. Explore your strengths: What are you naturally good at? What do people often come to you for? Purpose often lies at the intersection of your talents and what the world needs.
4. Pay attention to what bothers you: Sometimes your purpose is revealed through what you feel strongly against—injustice, waste, apathy. These feelings can guide you toward meaningful action.
5. Experiment and act: Purpose isn’t always found through introspection alone. Try new activities, volunteer, take on projects outside your comfort zone. Purpose often emerges through doing.
6. Talk to people: Have conversations with mentors, friends, or people doing things you admire. Their stories and feedback can offer insight and inspiration.
7. Be patient and open: Purpose evolves. It’s okay if it changes over time or starts small. Clarity grows with time, experience, and reflection.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

After decades of cultivating a passion for estate and vintage accessories, Margaret Rowe launched Margaret Rowe Couture in 2003. Known internationally for her luminous, artistic jewelry, Rowe has developed a refined collector following that spans the globe—from celebrities to bridal stylists to red carpet tastemakers.

A Czechoslovakian bracelet set originally inspired Margaret’s core design philosophy: to use Czech crystals and honor the handcrafted traditions of early 20th-century theatrical bijoux. Her pieces are distinguished by meticulous, stone-by-stone craftsmanship—each element hand-set with exacting precision. This process ensures every signed Margaret Rowe artpiece becomes more than an accessory; it becomes wearable sculpture, perfectly echoing the natural contours of the wrist, décolletage, and facial silhouette.

Captivated by the glamour of old Hollywood and the spectacle of contemporary red carpets, Margaret designs with a singular belief: Every Woman Is a Star. “I have always been enthralled with the provenance and design excellence of estate jewelry,” she says. “My passion lies in styling accessories that merge fashion, beauty, and timeless elegance. I strive to create designs that enhance the sparkle of romance and celebrate the star in every woman.”

The jewelry featured on Margaret’s flagship website, includes limited-edition collections and exclusive, one-of-a-kind designs worn by celebrity clients at the Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Golden Globes, and Grammy Awards. Each piece is touched by Margaret’s hand, making every creation a unique heirloom.

Style icons—women with striking presence and unapologetic confidence—embody the spirit of Margaret’s blog and brand. Speaking to her audience of “stylish muses,” Margaret champions the transformative power of accessories: “Accessories can set you apart in a room, help you stand out, and leave behind the wonderfully intoxicating fragrance of femininity.”

Her latest collection, Diamontage™, features Margaret’s signature Swiss simulated diamonds—flawless, inclusion-free, and engineered to emit a brighter fire than natural diamonds.

Margaret Rowe’s creations have been honored by world-renowned institutions, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Phoenix Art Museum, and the Santa Monica Museum of Art. This recognition underscores her philosophy that accessories are, indeed, art. Her bold, imaginative work has also been featured in a multi-film collaboration with Disney Studios, bringing the spirit of Maleficent and Cinderella to life through jewelry.

Consistently seen on the red carpet, Margaret Rowe’s artpieces have adorned A-list stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Sharon Stone, Mariah Carey, Heidi Klum, Beyonce, Christina Applegate, Michelle Pfeiffer and more.

Currently, Margaret is curating her extensive archives for an upcoming hardcover book, Facets of Life, which will accompany a national inspirational tour connecting with women’s groups, collectors, and museum benefactors. “I hope to inspire women of all ages to embrace their femininity and use jewelry as a form of self-expression. Jewelry punctuates an ensemble. In film—as in life—it defines character.”

Margaret Rowe personally invites you to explore her world of sparkle and shine.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back on the journey as a jewelry designer, skills that stand out as the most impactful:

1. Design Sensibility & Artistic Vision
• Why it’s impactful: The ability to conceptualize compelling, original designs that resonate emotionally with people is the heart of being a jewelry designer. Trends come and go, but a distinct voice and aesthetic build lasting appeal and brand identity.
• Advice: Build your visual language. Study art history, nature, fashion, and architecture. Sketch constantly—not just jewelry, but anything that trains your eye. Make mood boards, and analyze why certain designs “work.” Feedback and critique are gold—seek them early and often.

2. Understanding of Materials & Craftsmanship
• Why it’s impactful: A deep knowledge of metals, stones, and techniques (casting, fabrication, setting, etc.) ensures your designs are not only beautiful but feasible and durable. This bridges the gap between imagination and wearable reality.
• Advice: Get hands-on. Take benchwork or stone-setting classes if possible. Even if you eventually outsource production, this foundational knowledge will help you communicate with artisans and troubleshoot problems. Don’t just learn about materials—learn their limits.

3. Business & Branding Savvy
• Why it’s impactful: Many talented designers struggle because they overlook how essential branding, pricing, marketing, and client relationships are. Jewelry is emotional, but it’s also a business.
• Advice: Start small—track your costs, define your ideal customer, and be clear about your brand story. Learn basic marketing (especially social media and email strategy), and study how other designers grow. Treat the business side as creatively as you treat design.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

This is a classic tension—do you double down on your strengths or spread your energy to become more well-rounded? Personally, I lean toward going all in on your strengths, especially when it comes to career or leadership development. Here’s why:

When you pour your energy into what you naturally excel at, you tend to produce exceptional results. Strengths often come with built-in passion, making the work feel more meaningful and less draining. In contrast, putting too much effort into “fixing” weaknesses often brings diminishing returns. You might improve slightly, but it rarely leads to standout performance—and it can even chip away at your confidence.

A relevant story: consider how Steve Jobs operated. He wasn’t known for being highly organized or easy to work with in traditional ways—many might have seen those as “weaknesses.” But he doubled down on his strengths: vision, design intuition, and storytelling. By partnering with others who complemented his weak spots (like Tim Cook, who was brilliant at operations), he built one of the most influential companies in history without needing to become a jack-of-all-trades.

That said, there’s a difference between fatal flaws and minor weaknesses. If a weakness is so significant that it limits your ability to use your strengths—say, a brilliant software engineer who can’t communicate with a team—then yes, it’s worth improving that area just enough to function. But otherwise, the best strategy often lies in making your strengths so strong they become your brand.

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Image Credits

Photo by Halstan Williams and Bret Rowe

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