A piece by Evelyn Brooks Design
One Christmas day when she was a child, Evelyn Brooks’ father gave her a bunch of sparkly stones to choose from and make a design. The reds and blues that caught her eye turned out to be rubies and sapphires, a jeweled first design that made Evelyn’s Christmas particularly special and even sparked her desire to start her very own business.
Going into the jewelry design business was a dream to be realized. Working as a full-time travel agent, Brooks found herself more interested in baubles than bookings and enrolled herself in the Gemological Institute of America in New York, eventually graduating as a Gemology Specialist. She quit her full time job, but gained much entrepreneurial happiness, in late 2007.
Over the next few years, Brooks has tapped into her personal heritage and the current Administrations “Can Do” attitude to design inspiring and delightful pieces. Hispanic trends and more somber outlooks encouraged her use of onyx and native seeds from the Amazons of Peru to create the newest pieces in her collection, as well as several sets dedicated to the pride of Obama’s impending legacy and “the new chapter that we began in history with our new president,” she says.
And to complete the circle of generosity, Brooks embodies the zeal of her father when giving her that cluster of gems so many years ago. Actively working alongside such charities as Fashion Fights Poverty, Hoop Dreams, and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Brooks provides some welcome shine and helps to fundraise for efforts affecting her community, both in Peru and here in Washington, DC.
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