Couple creates custom, commemorative jewelry

Marlene Karas/ViewHeather Orfaly, who owns Southeast-based Heather Designs with her husband, Robert, holds one of her tiger jewelry creations. Advertisement

The glint of the midday sun was almost blinding as Heather Designs creative director Robert Orfaly held up one of the precious pendants he and his wife, Heather, created to commemorate the Stardust.

"See the way the sun catches the stones in just the right way?" he asked, as he pointed out the multi-hued gems and diamond-tinged Swarovski crystals dancing in the light. "They are just as amazing under the lights of the casinos."

The Orfalys are the owners and design experts of Southeast-based Heather Designs, a company that specializes in one-of-a-kind designer jewelry and commemorative trinkets.

"Our process is an artistic one, not mechanical," Heather said. "We start all of our pieces with an art-based rendition and then move from there. Our job is to embellish and hype. We do everything by hand."

The couple has been so successful in creating a brand of jewelry unique to Vegas that their items can be found at gift shops on the Strip.

"Everything that we do is authentic," Heather said, pointing to a diamond-encrusted $1 chip from Caesars Palace. "We are particularly proud of our Caesars line because there is so much thought that goes into how these pieces are put together."

The pair doesn't just do high-end jewelry.

"We use only the best crystals," Robert said. "Some are dyed different shades so that the product won't be as costly as it would be should we use the real gems. But, they are just as stunning."

The couple prides themselves on the authentic and unique look of their jewelry.

"We like a challenge," Heather said. "I have taken designer perfumes from around the world and decorated the bottles in accordance with the spirit of the scent. Those projects turn out beautifully, but can take days.

"I love to take a concept and make it my own. That's why what we do is so valuable. It's a one-of-a-kind experience, something that you can custom order in the form of jeweled dice for a commemorative Vegas experience or an elegant pendant for your son's wedding," she said.

Heather Designs jewelry is featured at New York New York's Nine Fine Irishmen gift shop, where the couple has taken their creative edge and branded it.

"We took the bar's Celtic symbol and put our own twist on it," Robert said. "It's still very accurate as far as history goes, but it's our design and it's exclusive."

Other merchandise by Heather Designs includes earrings, silk scarves, bejeweled designer scents, decorated cardholders and cigarette cases.

"We have a vision," Heather said. "That's what it's all about. We can create something that truly represents the individual or caters to an entire market. That's what makes us unique."

For more information on Heather Designs, visit www.heatherdesigns-lv.com.