BY LINDA BACHRACK

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

JOHN SOBCZAK

I is easy to imagine Adrienne Lenhoff as
a child, daydreaming on Saturday after-
noons in the company of her great-
grandmother, Jolan Schweiger —
whether window-shopping, poring through
scrapbooks of far-off places or wide-eyed
with wonder at the glamour on the silver
screen.
Schvveiger encouraged Lenhoff's little-girl
dreams, and eventually she followed her
heart to become a jewelry designer. Each
a.b. wise original, as her jewelry collection is
called, is one-of-a-kind, incorporating vin-
tage pieces that tell a story. Lenhoff hopes
her designs "make you dream and inspire
you to create your own story."
It's the romance of the jewelry that capti-

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vates. Mother of pearl, marcasite, Austrian
crystals, vintage cameos and Limoges — all
are rescued, restored, hand set and re-plated.
Estate pieces take on new identities. Old
earrings and brooches become pendants, as
Lenhoff magically transforms them, adding
beads and vintage clasps.
Though she owns a public relations and
marketing company called Shazaaam,
Lenhoff's real passion lies in jewelry making,
as is evident in the hundreds of boxes of
beads and crystals that await a new home
studio in her West Bloomfield basement.
Most pieces are commissioned and custom
designed for the individual; all are signed
and photographed. More mainstream pieces
are shown at jewelry shows, but Lenhoff

prefers private showings.
Lenhoff considers some of her larger, col-
lectible jewelry "stage pieces." With connec-
tions in the music industry, she's gotten
some public exposure — guitar player
Shaunna Hall wears a.b. wise original on
stage with George Clinton, and Emmy-nom-
inated sound editor Sharon Gersh-Tylk mod-
eled a necklace at last year's awards show.
"I look at these vintage pieces on various
people, see how they mesh with their per-
sonalities, and wonder 'What were the origi-
nal owners like?"' says Lenhoff. It's all fod-
der for never-ending daydreams.
For more information, log on to
www.abwise.com