Ask Carolyn Tyler how she came to be a jewelry designer and she'll shrug and say with a wink "I guess it was in the stars"... and then she'll tell you the spellbinding tale of the Stolen Opal.

During her divorce in 1990, a rare lavender opal pendant, bought during a school holiday in Greece 15 years earlier, went missing. She was distraught, and traveled to Bali to find solace--and, as luck would have it, she also found a goldsmith to re-create her beloved treasure. Fellow tourists stopped her in the street asking where they could find one like it, and an idea was born. After selling several versions of the original right off her neck, she made herself a lavender opal ring (see photo), modeled after the famous arm cuff of King Ramses II, to replace the necklace, and launched into full time jewelry designing in Bali.

Ten years later, during a trunk show tour in her hometown of Santa Barbara, Carolyn ran into her ex-husband, who offered to reveal what he had done with her cherished pendant. She realized in that moment, that it was actually the best bad thing that had ever happened to her. She said "Thank you for stealing that-I might never have gone to Bali and become a jewelry designer if not for that misfortune!"

Her friend had received it from a suitor (the ex, of course!) as a gift, but never felt "right" about it, so she gave it away. The woman also never wanted to wear it, but couldn't seem to part with it. She brought it to Carolyn later that day, and it was, indeed, the Stolen Opal (see photo)-finally returned to it's home after a 15 year absence.

The moral of this story is...When life gives you lemons, make the best darn lemonade there is, brand it, and let the world enjoy it!

Born under the creative sign of Libra in Los Angeles, Carolyn spent her post-university years in Santa Barbara, California, running a small advertising agency.

In 1989 she traveled to Southeast Asia and fell under the spell of "the Island of the Gods", with its gracious people and rich spiritual traditions.

Finding many talented artisans there, she started designing clothing and home accessories for her new business, Exotica. In 1993, she closed her advertising and imports businesses and moved to Indonesia to embark on a new adventure in creativity.

From her self-designed home, which she describes as "an oversized piece of jewelry which functions as a house", she envisions and sketches jeweled creations both whimsical and royal. With the help of a loyal loyal team of master craftsmen, she performs the alchemy of turning her dreams, literally, into gold.

For Carolyn Tyler, collecting gemstones is a passion. She favors using "phenomenal" gems (those that possess special qualities of light reflection and refraction), ancient coins and South Sea pearls in her one-of-a-kind creations.

Nature, mythology, art, music, and dance inspire the designs. Themes from the artifacts of ancient civilizations and tribal art symbolism reflect her background in archaeology and anthropology.

Using goldsmithing techniques from antiquity such as granulation, filigree, and repousse, she creates pieces that are evocative of the fabled buried treasures of Golden Ages past. The designer's preference for working in 18-24 karat gold gives this jewelry unusual luster, weight, and lasting value, making it an excellent heirloom investment.