Behind the Jewelry
My Story
Owner & designer M. Gaines
Southern gentleman, eccentric, tattooed rebel and legend in his own mind.
A blue blood by birth & black sheep because it’s a hell of a lot of fun!
Why the name Blue Blood Black Sheep? – It sums up who I am – a Southern gentleman with gracious manners who evolved from calling cards, prep school blazers, loafers & a signet ring to black leather, boots, tattoos and a nose ring. I will “bless your heart”, call you on your shit then fix you some sweet tea & snack; however, that snack will be served on china with a cloth napkin! It’s a helluva lot of fun being the black sheep of the family!
How did you get started making jewelry? – At age eight, my mother, grandmothers and a great-aunt gave me masses of old costume jewelry that I dismantled, resetting stones, & restringing beads for my early creations. In college, a summer position with a fine jeweler re-ignited my interest & precious gems replaced rhinestones as my palette. A Graduate Gemologist degree & business degrees led to a career that covered all aspects of the business & eventually a corner office with a national fine jewelry retailer.
When did you start your own jewelry line? – Corporate burnout in 2000 led to traveling the world & creating lots of black sheep mischief. A friend in Toronto asked me to teach him to create costume jewelry for drag queens. I was bitten by the bug again and in 2000, M Gaines Jewelry was born coming full circle back to the materials and big statement pieces that inspired me as a child.
How did you come up with the Morse code idea? Texting while drinking! While partaking a bottle of Bordeaux & texting a friend with updates about NYC Fashion week, inspiration struck – texting is a type of code, so why not make Morse code jewelry! Though a black sheep, I am still a Southerner with manners so Morse code blended the ability to say “go to hell” in a subtle, elegant & socially acceptable way! Sales exploded in 2014 leading to re-branding as Blue Blood Black Sheep from M Gaines Jewelry.
Did those tattoos and piercings hurt? – Yes.
Mailing Address
961 Osage Dr.
Henderson KY 42420