arbee's Baubles
™
Brilliantly bold. Beautifully bespoke.
About the Company and the Owner
Meagan Barbee
Creator, Owner, & Designer
Barbee's Baubles, LLC
My journey into gemology began early - in Earth Science class in primary school. I remember watching a video on gems and having a feeling of awe, wonder, and calm permeate through my every cell of my body. It was said in the video that being around gems and looking at them makes you relaxed and happy - two things everyone could benefit from.
My interest in the sciences took me through undergraduate school with a Bachelor's of Science in Chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology and continued into graduate school with a Doctorate of Pharmacy from Mercer University and a residency in oncology from the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. I had the opportunity to move to New York after residency where I practiced at the #1 cancer center in the world - Sloan Kettering. After 2 years, I unexpectedly moved to Asia with my husband, and we resided in Tokyo for 2 years. I befriended a local pearl jeweler, and visiting the store with my expat friends became a lovely pastime.
My journey took me back to Atlanta. Upon trying to start a family, I began researching the meaning of names. I discovered my own name "Meagan" is derived from the Welsh language as a variant of Margaret, connecting it to the Greek word margarites, meaning "pearl." How fitting.
After over a decade of practicing clinical pharmacy and dabbling into medical communications, I decided to shift. Now with two young boys and coming out of a pandemic, I definitely needed more "relaxed and happy" in my life. The pandemic brought out my organization skills, and I decided to get rid of lots of things. I couldn't part with some of the nice jewelry I had, but I never wore it. I decided to take it all apart and make something I did like. As it was right before the holidays, I ended up giving most of it away to family members. This organizational/house-cleaning endeavor led me to start sourcing gems and pearls and progress in my handicraft into more luxurious pieces. Pearls are a natural choice for me as I appreciate that each is formed from a single organism and time.
The products featured under the labels The Queen of Gems™ and The Princess of Pearls™ are designed, matched, sorted, and handmade by myself. I work exclusively in .925 sterling silver, 14K gold fill, and 14K gold. Other featured products with diamonds and 14K/18K gold are designed locally and handcrafted by expert artisans abroad, and have been hand-selected with my personal taste and discerning eye.
