The JudeFrances Fusion

Jude Frances is a one-of-kind designer jewelry company because of the incredible mixing that takes place.  JudeFrances is a fusion of personalities, sources of inspiration, styles and talents. Rare among designer jewelry, the JudeFrances company is spearheaded by two individuals. These two individuals, Francis Gadbois and Jude Steele, are both part of the creative process and each contribute their personality to the designs.

Their inspirations stem from their upbringing. Francis, having been born in England and educated about antique jewelry by her father, prefers the old world look with lots of yellow gold, diamonds and pearls – her designs are reminiscent of the royal jewels of the kings and queens of England. Maltese crosses, Christian crosses, fleur de lises, scepter ball earrings, diamond shapes, scallop edges and floral patterns are some of her trademark designs. Also, Francis’s creations have an airy quality to them. Many of her rings are open works – there are see through portions where the finger can be seen through the open “windows”.  Francis embraces jewelry with a timeless appeal and classic form.  On the other hand, Texas-born Jude Steele gravitates toward the funky, the trendy, the chic and even flamboyant designs.  She chooses to adorn her creations with colored stones to portray the playful sides of personalities.  Jude’s designs recall art deco styles:  they are bold, usually with big center stones, and funky.

These two women appear to be the yin to each other’s yang.  They both contribute a missing piece to the other and together they make jewelry that appeal across many preferences.  They even have different business foci in the company: Francis overseas design and manufacturing while Jude takes on sales and marketing.  These women appear to have found a place that fits just right for each of them; lucky for us because their jewelry is unlike any other jewelry currently available from designers.