When Lakewood resident Matthew Trent began selling his collection of uniquely designed jewelry on Cedar Springs, he didn’t know he had hit the mark.
“I had no idea,” says Trent. “At the time we needed more work space. It has turned into a fabulous location.”
If you’ve thumbed through an upscale magazine at your dentist’s office or salon lately, you may have found your eye drawn to one of the pieces featured in Trent’s ads. His creations do not look like your average dinner ring or locket. Often fashioned from a marriage of stones of contrasting color, deftly crafted of 18kt gold and platinum, these baubles are more accurately defined as fine wearable art.
Trent, making jewelry since the age of 14, has received first place in both the Platinum Guild’s International Design Competition and the JCK Design Competition. The Dallas studio is his first solo venture. His wife, Lori, is his business partner. They have a six-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son, and “feel fortunate to be able to support” several Lakewood charities.
Most recently, Matt and Lori traveled to the Fiesta Bowl for a televised presentation of a platinum coin he designed to commemorate the first unified college championship game. Matt says the NCAA (National College Athletics Association) wanted the project treated more like a “precious metal sculpture” than a regular coin design. But it did have to follow some basic parameters. Certain words (names of the teams, etc) had to be inscribed. And one more important thing.
“It had to flip like a coin,” Matt says. “They used it for the toss at the beginning of the game.” The finished 7.5 ounce piece was carried out onto the field in Phoenix by none other than UT’s own Ricky Williams, accompanied by Tony Dorset of the Dallas Cowboys.
Trent, who had never designed a coin before, took some 84 hours of labor to create the original, which is likely headed for the NCAA Hall of Fame. He is also fabricating about 150 copies in gold (for the winning coach) and silver for various Fiesta Bowl participants. The Lakewood residents returned from the big game with new celebrity status in the neighborhood.
In all, Matthew Trent’s work ethic and life philosophy mirror that of so many entrepreneurs.
If I won the lottery, I would:
Never quit working.
My advice to anyone starting a business is:
Do what you know
I love what I do because:
I do what I love.
I’m not afraid to:
Try new things.
By the end of the year, I hope to have:
Finished five sculptures.
If I could meet any famous person, it would be:
Rodin
Life is too short to:
Not enjoy it!
I don’t believe in:
Giving up.
