About Us

Charmagranate^™ by Gary Franklin is a jewelry line that takes inspiration from the meaningful symbolism of a pomegranate and combines it with unique jeweler’s craftsmanship and design. Launched in 2009, Charmagranate is the creation of Gary Franklin, who has over 25 years of experience in the jewelry trade as a master craftsman, business owner, manager, creator and innovator. Having been trained by a European master jeweler, jewelry became not only Gary’s profession but also his passion.

Gary seized upon the pomegranate as an icon of fascination and beauty based on the fruit’s rich color, religious symbolism and its ability to be translated into a piece of jewelry with a distinctive design aesthetic. With its many seeds, the pomegranate is a universal symbol of fertility, birth, renewal and healing. The fruit represents unity, as it contains seeds that are bound together into a single fruit.

In Judaism, pomegranates are used to embellish ritual objects, as it is said that the pomegranate contains 613 seeds-the same number as the commandments [mitzvoth] in the Torah. In Christianity, the pomegranate is a symbol of Jesus’ suffering and resurrection. In the Judeo-Christian traditions, it symbolizes royalty; in Hinduism, it is used for medicinal purposes in Ayurveda; in Muslim traditions, the Qur’an mentions pomegranates twice as examples of good things God creates; and in the secular world, the pomegranate can be found as a symbol on emblems of many medical institutions.

For Gary, it wasn’t until his sister’s struggle with infertility that the inspiration for Charmagranate was born. As Gary’s sister sought treatment for her infertility, she suggested that Gary make her a symbolic piece of jewelry- a pomegranate charm- to see her through her fertility challenges. Gary handcrafted this charm for her to inspire hope and good luck, and eventually she was able to conceive. To this day, after the birth of her two children, Gary’s sister still wears the original pomegranate charm he made her as a testament to the beautiful family she now has.

In late 2009, Gary combined his initial pomegranate charm prototype with some modeling wax to create the full Charmagranate line of jewelry. All of Charmagranate’s pieces are handmade in New York City in the heart of the Diamond District. Most of the pieces are done in sterling silver, but the line is customizable to be manufactured in any precious metal, such as gold or platinum. All of the pieces contain Gary’s signature “Charmagranate” bail and distinctive lock. Each piece is handcrafted to reflect Gary’s lifelong love of jewelry coupled with his interest in religious symbolism. The Charmagranate line offers each customer an evocative, one-of-a-kind treasure to add to their jewelry collection. What gives Gary the greatest inspiration is the smile on the faces of the people who now wear his line proudly. For more information on the Charmagranate line, please contact us.