John Condron's Designs Blend Contemporary Styles

By John Mooney

Fadó blends ancient and contemporary Irish jewelry that draws upon the rich Celtic traditions and the beautiful Irish landscape, flora and fauna for inspiration. Founder John Condron's designs incorporate the ancient past with the modern cosmopolitan society of Ireland today. Fadó (the name means "long ago") specializes in taking designs from centuries past and putting them into modern themes. Fadó products are available in over 450 select stores, reaching from the U.S. and Canada, Ireland, England, Scotland, Australia and Japan.

Wedding rings, naturally, are big business. Reversing a 15-year trend, yellow gold is on the way back, whereas white gold had been quite popular. Platinum is on the rise in both popularity and price, too. Fadó features bangles and bracelets, earrings, pendants, crosses, cufflinks and tie-tacks, as well as Claddagh, diamond and wedding rings.

"Platinum is an understated metal that doesn't scream opulence or wealth," says Condron. "Those who wear it generally go for better quality." Condron explains that The Celtic Tiger has significantly impacted the jewelry business.

"There's a new wealth, a new affluence in Ireland that wasn't here 20 years ago," said the designer, who started his business in New York, but now has a workshop near the Dublin Assay Office, where all Fadó jewelry is hall marked for authenticity.

"Originally, 90% of my business was done in America. We are seeing the Irish market pick up now, too."

Each piece is hand-crafted with meticulous attention to detail by master craftsmen. The Claddagh, of course, is eternally popular. Condron designed a two-toned ring inspired by the fishing village "where salmon leap and friendship reigns." As with all of his designs, Condron tries to put a contemporary twist on a fashionable, wearable piece of jewelry.

Company History

On and off throughout the 1990s, the designer lived in New York, where he met his wife, Marion, who was born in Africa and educated as nurse in Ireland. The two returned to Ireland in 2000, and since that time Fadó's business has grown tremendously.

Condron designs all the rings and creates molds in 19 different sizes into which gold and other metals are poured. His company has grown to 20 employees, many of whom trained and worked in industry for years before joining Fadó. The main workshop is located in Blackrock, roughly six miles southeast of Dublin.

After attending the Avoca Kingstown School, second level, he applied to be a policeman - about as far from a jewelry designer as one could get. But he always wanted to express his creativity and was bitten by the bug when he applied for a job as a clerk with Harmony Jewelry in Dublin.

"My interview for the police was pushed back 5 years," said Condron, who has flourished in his chosen career path.

What the designer finds particularly gratifying is the happiness on the faces of customers when they buy and receive new pieces of jewelry.

"I try to create something that is special, something of quality that will last," explained Condron, who lives in Co. Wicklow, about 30 miles south of Dublin. "You can never bottle the mystique of a gift of jewelry. It's such a precious gift for a woman. No one ever turns their nose at a piece of jewelry. It's especially true when the piece symbolizes heritage and identity - even for men."

Condron says that nine U.S. Congressman wear Fadó cufflinks, which are frequently given as gifts by Irish trade commissioners as they promote Irish businesses. He has worked with Enterprise Ireland to develop his U.S. business, but also has his eyes set on the global market.

"While 85% of my business is U.S.-based, I became conscious after 9/11 that we should broaden in other countries," Condron said. "Our product lines are growing in Ireland, the UK, Australia, and Japan. The Japanese are always looking for something different."

People from other cultures remain infatuated with the Claddagh. They love the story that lies within the piece of jewelry and the symbolism behind it.

"There's a romance to it; the same goes for the Celtic knot, which has no beginning and no end," explained Condron, who says the Claddagh first appeared in the 16th century.

"Richard Joyce of the village of Claddagh was fishing off the west coast of Galway, when his boat was attacked, and he was taken captive my Moorish pirates. His sweetheart thought he was lost at sea," Condron detailed. "Pirates sold him into slavery to a Spanish jeweler. After 7 years, he was awarded freedom. He returned to Ireland, where his sweetheart had not married. He made her the first Claddagh ring with the heart in the center, wrapped in hands of friendship and crowned with loyalty."

John Christopher Collection

Meanwhile, in his precious spare time, Condron loves to spend time with his family, visit museums, and fly fish in Mayo for Brown Trout. He also has found a creative outlet in photography, and has taken some stunning scenic photographs from atop Croagh Patrick, which makes sense since all of the existing Fadó collections are named after Ireland's natural treasures.

"Our logo is the boat of St. Brendan's voyage," he says proudly.

To see examples of Fadó designs, visit www.fadojewelry.com.