Tracy Ramm: Pearl Of The Sky
Tracy Ramm has two hobbies: one involves the delicate, sophisticated art of jewelry; the other involves flying her own T-34 airplane high above the foothills of San Diego.

Growing up in Coronado, Ramm was the daughter of a navy pilot. Seeing her father soar through the skies instilled in her a passion for aviation. As fate would have it, the man she would come to marry was an air force pilot. Ramm knew hers was destined to be a flying family, and so she set out to obtain her pilot’s license.

“I think I got most of my flying time in when I was pregnant,” she laughs. “It’s something that my husband and I do together. We fly to the French valley, up to Carlsbad, out to Borrego springs and Palm Springs.”

Ramm is clearly a woman unafraid to go with inspiration. Thus, as someone who had always seen the beauty in pearls, she set out to start her own business. CAVU Pearls is an appropriate name for her business, standing for “Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited,” in other words, the perfect day for flying.

“I took the [Gemological Institute of America’s] pearl stringing course, did a lot of research and read a lot of books,” she says. “Some friends of mine were already in the diamond business, and so I attended the [Jewelers Circular Keystone] show with them in Las Vegas. I started buying loose pearls, and eventually started making each piece myself.”

The quality of Ramm’s pearl jewelry got around by word of mouth, and the reputation she earned kept her in steady business. Because she handles the stringing herself, she knows the work is done correctly. Liza Znachko, owner of Liza’s (a Lilly Pulitzer boutique) at Flower Hill Mall in Del Mar, discovered Ramm’s talent one day when she saw the artist/aviator wearing one of her own necklaces. They began a collaboration. The combination of high fashion and custom jewelry seemed a no-brainer to both of them.

“I get inspired by the season’s designs,” she says. “I’ll go in a look at what’s coming in and then create my pieces to match. I keep an inventory of colored pearls like green and pink, so the jewelry works with all the styles.”

Whether she’s flying high over San Diego or working with the ocean’s gems, Ramm is in tune with the wonder of nature. Perhaps this is what makes her the perfect designer in the world of pearls.

“I think a pearl is as beautiful as a diamond,” she remarks. “It comes right out of the shell, doesn’t need to be cut, and is wonderfully iridescent. It has natural beauty.” (www.cavupearls.com) — Alicia Garcia

 

 

 

 
Tracy Ramm

Precious Pearls (Left)

Some folks say that diamonds are a girl’s best friends. Obviously they aren’t giving enough credit to those elegant underwater miracles encased in bivalves. Never mind. One can never have enough friends, and variety is the spice of life.

1. 18” double strand Tahitian South Seas baroque shaped pearls in 7.2mm to 13.8mm with 18K yellow and white gold clasp and .64 tcw diamonds, from The Classic Touch Fine Jewelry in La Jolla

2. 14K white-gold 16” snake chain with a 13mm Tahitian pearl and .065 tcw diamonds, from Rock N Gold Creations Fine Jewelry Design Center, a division of Mattar’s, in San Diego

3. 18K white gold 9.5mm Tahitian pearl ring with .12 tcw channel-set diamonds, from The Classic Touch Fine Jewelry in La Jolla

4. 17-1/2” South Seas platinum 10mm to 12mm pearls with 18K white-gold clasp from Fleur De Lis Fine Jewelry and Diamonds in Rancho Santa Fe

5. Large white coin pearl bracelet with 14K yellow gold clasp by Tracy Ramm of Cavu Pearls in Chula Vista

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Watch It (Left)
June belongs to dads and grads, people who have put in time and effort to support loved ones and get ahead in life. While gift choices are numerous, perhaps the best is the gift of time. Today’s fashionable wristwear harkens back to the days of the pocket watch and fop with elegance at the forefront of their design. Often subtle, sometimes artistic, luxury watches are meticulously made with skills passed down through the generations. From Hublot to IWC to Omega, an elegant watch doesn’t just tell time so much as it speaks of reputation and prestige. With grads embarking on job interviews, and dads playing paterfamilias, the true extent of their influence will be reflected on their faces. – Alicia Garcia

1. Mens square stainless steel bezel with black dial and black leather strap by Tommy Bahama, from Rock N Gold Creations Fine Jewelry Design Center, a division of Mattar’s in San Diego

2. Men’s Breitling for Bentley, Bentley Motors’ automatic timepiece in highly polished stainless steel and bronze dial from Royal Maui Jewelers at Plaza Camino Real in Carlsbad and Fashion Valley Center in San Diego

3. Men’s Hublot stainless steel elegant chrono diamond dial, bezel and lugs from Leo Hamel Jewelers in Solana Beach and Old Town

4. Men’s Jaeger-Le Coultre Reverso Duo in stainless steel, and brown alligator strap from C. J. Charles Jewelers in La Jolla

5. IWC gents 18KY Da Vinci Perpetual Chrono from Leo Hamel in Solana Beach and Old Town

6. IWC ladies stainless steel
Da Vinci from Leo Hamel Jewelers in Solana Beach and Old Town

7. Ladies Colvmbvs Collection Chronograph with quartz, steel, diamonds, and pink Mother of Pearl dial with luminescent markers, diamond bezel (0.67ct), and pink Croco strap from Charriol USA in La Jolla

8. Ladies Franck Muller Color of Dreams in white gold and diamond case and buckle, with purple alligator strap from C. J. Charles Jewelers in La Jolla

9. Hublot Ladies 18KY/stainless steel midsize classic diamond bezel from Leo Hamel
in Solana Beach and Old Town

10. Ladies Omega 18K yellow gold and high polished stainless steel, with 18K yellow gold and diamond bezel, and mother of pearl diamond dial from Royal Maui Jewelers at Plaza Camino Real in Carlsbad and Fashion Valley Center in
San Diego

11. Ladies Celtic III Collection with quartz, steel, and diamonds; white porcelain dial with Arabic numbers; diamond bezel (0.28ct); and black Celtic cable bracelet from Charriol USA in
La Jolla

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Enchanted Ensembles

12. There once was an enchanted boutique near the sea; people called it Bella Moda Ladies Boutique. It was located in the Lumberyard Plaza in Encinitas. The store had special accessories on display showcasing an array of dazzling hats, shoes, purses, jewelry, beaded scarves, and enough choices for any princess to build the wardrobe of her dreams.
But the princes had two wishes left and wished for more. Suddenly, there were two boutiques. Bella Moda Too appeared in the new Village by the Sea Boutique Shopping Center in Carlsbad. This shop also had beautiful fashions for beautiful people. Both stores had new shipments arriving daily, with every type of clothing from casual to flirty.
The princesses were elated and everyone lived happily ever after. The moral of the story is that sometimes you don’t need a third wish. Have magical visits to Bella Moda Ladies Boutique and Bella Moda Too. (858/776-0727) – S. K. Tiger

13. Once upon a time, there was a dreamy boutique in Encinitas. It carried everything to make life beautiful for women young and old. There were bling-bling belts to wear with hip designer jeans. And in just a quick blink of an eye you could also find sophisticated suits to wear to chic fashion shows. Word went out to all the people in the land, and before anyone could say “mum’s the word” the shop was the best store in the kingdom for clothes ranging from casual to elegant attire. The fairytale-like boutique is Icons on Rancho Santa Fe Rd. in Encinitas. (760/632-7766) — S. K. Tiger

14. Not very long ago, and not too far away, there once was a woman who wanted to find Prince Charming. She decided the initial way to attract him would be to look as eye-catching as possible. (He would soon realize that she was also brainy and a wonderful person.) So she made her way to a trendy boutique and shopped until her heart was content. She bought Kippy belts (worn by Madonna), casual clothes, run-around-town clothes, and of course, bell-of-the-ball clothes.
Needless to say the story has a happy ending. The prince showed up right away and gave her a credit card with no limit to use. She charges on it until her heart’s content at Ooh La La in the Carlsbad Premium Outlets Stores and Ooh La La on State Street in Carlsbad. (760/804-1896) — S. K. Tiger

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

  
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