Karen Young, Owner of Sterling Accents, custom designs sterling silver jewellery by hand for occasions of all kinds - her most popular client being a bride. Her shop is wall-to-wall and end-to-end with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, tiaras, flower headpieces, loungewear and veils - each created by Karen.

She has hundreds of samples on display, each one with a different design and colour scheme, covering every trend and style in depth. Sterling Accents' popularity with local brides is a result of Karen's attention to detail, trendy designs, great prices and ability to customize jewellery that will sparkle in all the right places on the bride-to-be.

Personally speaking...

As the name implies, Sterling Accents originally started out as a shop dedicated to creating custom jewellery by working with sterling silver. Karen Young's expertise in creating pieces out of sterling silver made her unique.

Soon after opening, local brides discovered Sterling Accents and began requesting bridal jewellery, custom designs and sets for their bridesmaids. Karen's new clientele caused her to begin catering almost entirely to the bridal market, "I really enjoy working with brides. Their jewellery is very personal to them, so they see the value in customizing each detail to end up with a hand made piece that is just for them..."

Showing that Karen is in tune with what brides want, this past year was Karen's busiest year yet.

Details make the difference

Choosing custom designed jewellery is entirely different from purchasing off the shelf. Each tiara, necklace, bracelet, earring set, headband, flower headpiece or comb is made specifically for the person who will wear it. Buying custom jewellery here can be as fun as wearing it. Just like your bridal gown, Sterling Accents jewellery is designed, colour matched, fitted and tried on before the wedding day.

Karen pays attention to the details - the length and style, the right colour for your skin, the cut of your gown below your necklace... She can create from her own vision, from yours, or from a combination of both. Karen makes it her personal responsibility to make sure that each piece looks perfect when it's worn.

Because so many brides purchase jewellery for their bridesmaids' as a way of saying thank you (and accessorizing gowns), Sterling Accents will likely always be busy. Karen says that bridal party jewellery is her most popular request. "When a bride goes out of her way to customize gifts for a bridal party, it's because she knows her bridesmaids will be touched." For extra measure, Karen uses special packaging for gift pieces.

Stepping into Sterling Accents

Sterling Accents' newly renovated shop is filled end-to-end with with tiaras, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, veils, hair combs, loungewear and other custom cut pieces. If the hundreds of samples aren't giving you any ideas, Karen can usually replicate items brought in a photo from a magazine.

In the Sterling Accents shop, everything sparkles. Starting with sterling silver, Karen designs each piece using an array of Swarovski Crystals and beads of all colours and shapes. All jewellery sets - her most popular items for weddings - include a necklace, bracelet, and set of earrings.

Sparkling in sterling on your wedding day

While gold was the rule of thumb for wedding days of yore, today's brides are seeing the light - and it's silver. Karen Young works with sterling silver because it is sleek and in style. It shimmers in the light, and it goes with just about everything. It can be either elegant and beautiful, or trendy and dramatic.

Karen admits that one of her biggest passions is in custom designing and building tiaras. She offers fully customizable tiaras, many with extensive detail in their settings. She has dozens on display to give you an idea of where to start, but she's equally as happy to accept a photo of your gown and begin designing on her own, "Brides often bring their wedding gowns in with them so that we can match their jewellery to them."

Trends and ideas...

By keeping an eye on what's hot in weddings and by using her own creativity, Karen has always maintained a diverse selection of items to browse in person. When we visited, we saw tiaras with many different looks, each with a different setting or arrangement of jewels. Karen's necklaces ranged from soft colours and simple designs to daring ruby reds and deep purples. The necklace styles were surprisingly extensive, some with multiple strands, others with a single strand ending in a drop at the middle, and more. Earrings ranged from simple drop earrings to chandelier style settings. There is something for everyone here.

Because all of her pieces were inspired by local brides, her samples and showcases give a great view into what's popular or trendy for local brides. "I am constantly creating and re-inventing when I'm working. No piece is the same, unless the brides wants it to be." She never sells a sample. Every piece in her shop is a sample or starting point for your design. Each piece that you'll receive is brand new and made just for you.

Options, choices & prices...

It is not uncommon for a bride and her bridesmaids to spend hours in the Sterling Accents shop in Kitchener. Karen respects that every girl is different, and creating custom jewellery allows her to cater to everyone's individual needs. For this reason, she tries to allow several hours for each appointment, "Jewellery, veils, and tiaras are touchy-feely items. You need to try them on! Have fun with it!" Karen says that there is a design and setting that is perfect for everyone's skin tone, eye colour and gown style. If you are at a loss, Karen is more than willing to walk you through your choices. If one of her brides has an idea of what she wants but isn't sure on the details, Karen can make up sample and email photos.

Jewellery sets for the bride and bridal party range from $39 to $300 each, and include a necklace, earrings and bracelet. Other gift suggestions would be individual pieces such as bracelets or chandelier earrings. Karen offers a bulk purchase incentive of 10% off, depending on the amount of accessories you'll be purchasing.

Free restringing

When the day has come and gone, Karen will restring the beads from your tiara or headband into a necklace, bracelet or earrings at no charge.

This turns your wedding day jewels into sparkling memories of your wedding day. All Karen asks in return is a wedding photo that shows off the bride and her jewels. The photo will be displayed in the Sterling Accents store for future brides to see.

Sterling Accents veils

Karen Young creates custom veils with removable combs or barrettes. Veils come in different styles and length, and like her jewellery, are customized for the bride (or flower girl).

Close-up on pearls

Since pearls have become so popular over the past year (particularly with Karen's own 'Jackie-O' design), she has added a pearl display. Brides can browse the many different sizes, colours and types of pearls that can be used to create elegant, timeless jewellery. "They're beautiful and luminous," says Karen.

Details, details, details

• Karen needs approximately 2 to 3 weeks to complete orders (depending on the complexity and number of pieces ordered).
• A 20% deposit puts your custom design in motion.
• All Sterling Accent's prices are subject to GST and PST.
• Visa, MasterCard and Interac are all accepted at Sterling Accents.

In other words...

"Thank you once again for the beautiful necklace and earrings you created for my wedding. I truly appreciate the time and effort you spent ensuring that the pieces were exactly what I wanted. I want you to know that this sort of quality and attention to detail does not go unnoticed and I will definitely be recommending your work to my friends." - Melanie, Toronto Bride

"Many, many thanks for the beautiful jewellery you made for our daughter's wedding. It's unique beauty truly helped to make it the perfect day that it was. You are a gifted artist and a true talent. We will be back!" - Susan, Mother of the Bride

"I wanted to thank you for the fantastic job you did on my wedding party's necklaces. They looked amazing on the girls! I also wanted to give you a sincere thank you for helping me pick out my jewellery for the wedding. We had a fabulous day, and are thrilled that the necklaces looking so great in our photos." - Sally, married Aug 10, 2007

"Our day was so beautiful and it all came together with every detail. Thanks for the beautiful necklace that complimented my look so perfectly!" - Amanda, married April 14, 2007

“Thanks so much for taking time this morning for my mom and I to look around! I can’t tell you how excited I am to come back with my dress! I can’t wait! Thanks again and we’ll see you in a few weeks!" - Becky, married July 26, 2007

To contact Sterling Accents...

Karen is accessible by phone at 519-578-0710, or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You can also browse for more online at her new website, www.sterlingaccents.com. Karen says that if you see something you like on her website, just email her, call her or talk to her. "Anything can be done... Let's figure out what you need and how to make sure you get it." Karen invites you to make an appointment to visit the Sterling Accents shop in Kitchener between Mondays and Saturdays, or to visit her Showroom Open House every Sunday 11 am to 5 pm. To find Sterling Accents on Sundays, Mapquest 44 Trailwood Crescent in Kitchener (N2N 1V7).