Nicole and Liz met in 2006 while doing volunteer work (in addition to their day jobs) with endangered sea turtles on St. Croix, they bonded instantly due to many similarities and shared interests. The two collaborated from time to time over the years on jewelry projects and each stepped in to help the other when needed. Nicole will be carrying on the FantaSea vision, keeping the business alive and growing, and continuing to produce inspired and meaningful Caribbean jewelry.
Nicole is the owner of FantaSea Jewelry, joining FantaSea in 2014 and has helped to take FantaSea to the next level. Having run her own retail fine jewelry store for 7 years on St. Croix, she holds many G.I.A. (Gemological Institute of America) certifications including the Applied Jewelry Professional (A.J.P.) certificate, Graduate Diamonds and Graduate Colored Stones diplomas, and is a skilled jeweler who has been making and selling fine jewelry for over 17 years. Nicole works primarily in diamonds, genuine gemstones and precious metals such as gold, silver and palladium and has an affinity for unique colored gemstones and gemstone cabochons.
Liz was born and raised in Chicago, IL. She began her education in the field of psychology, then changed her major to art, eventually obtaining a BA in art with a concentration in fashion design. After serving a 10 year “career sentence” in the fashion industry in Chicago and then NYC, Liz fell in love with the islands during a vacation, and just had to move here with her fiance at the time, Brad. After 4 months on the island, Liz and Brad decided this would be their permanent residence and got married, bought a condo and never looked back.
Liz passed away in February of 2016 after a long battle with a rare auto-immune disease called MCTD (Mixed Connective Tissue Disease). She lived on St. Croix for over ten years. During that time she found her passion in creating beautiful jewelry and founded FantaSea Jewelry, inspired by the ocean, sea life and endangered sea turtles in particular. Liz worked in sea turtle conservation efforts as well as donating her jewelry to causes such as ocean conservation, the American Cancer Society and local animal rescue and welfare organizations. She was also a strong advocate for autoimmune disease awareness and went before the legislature on St. Croix to speak on the need for better health care for individuals living with autoimmune diseases in the Virgin Islands.
Liz’s passion, work and legacy as a jeweler will live on through FantaSea Jewelry and we will be producing some more of Liz’s works that were in progress, over the coming months and continue her established design collections.
If you are captivated by the color, character, and endless variety of natural gemstones, you already understand that jewelry can be so much more than an accessory.
The most interesting pieces often begin with materials that are anything but ordinary: a moonstone glowing with blue light, a sapphire in a color you didn’t know existed, or a one-of-a-kind gemstone with inclusions and patterns created entirely by nature. These are the pieces that invite questions, start conversations, and become part of your story.
At FantaSea Jewelry, we create jewelry for people who want something more personal, something beautiful, thoughtfully made, and just a little unexpected.
My process almost always begins with the gemstone.
I have been collecting, studying, buying, and working with natural gemstones for nearly 30 years, and I’m still fascinated by them. I look for exceptional color, unusual varieties, beautiful natural features, and stones with the kind of personality that makes you stop and look twice.
From there, I design jewelry that allows the gemstone to be the star. My work combines natural gemstones with solid gold and sterling silver, using clean lines, comfortable details, and distinctive textures inspired by the beauty and energy of the Caribbean.
I make pieces that are meant to feel good on the body, hold up to real life, and be enjoyed, not saved indefinitely for some imaginary special occasion. My background as a repair jeweler has made me especially attentive to the structural details you may never notice: how a ring feels between the fingers, how securely a stone is set, and how a piece will wear over time.
I’m Nicole Gariepy, the owner, designer, gemologist, and jeweler behind FantaSea Jewelry.
I began my career in jewelry in 1997 and received my gemological training through the Gemological Institute of America. Over the years, I have worked as a jeweler, gemstone buyer, merchandiser, appraiser, workshop manager, and diamond and gemstone grader. That experience now comes together in every piece I create, and in the honest, approachable education I share with my customers.
I purchased FantaSea Jewelry in 2015 from a dear friend who we lost far too soon. Taking on the business came with a deep sense of responsibility: to honor what she had started while allowing FantaSea to grow into something that reflected my own experience, creativity, and vision.
Over the last ten years, that is exactly what has happened.
Today, FantaSea Jewelry is deeply personal to me. It reflects my lifelong fascination with gemstones, my decades at the jeweler’s bench, my love of St. Croix, and my belief that creativity can bring more beauty into the world.
Some of the original spirit remains, but FantaSea has grown and evolved alongside me. It has become a place where natural gemstones, skilled craftsmanship, curiosity, and personal connection all come together.
You’ll find FantaSea Jewelry upstairs on historic Company Street in Christiansted, St. Croix, part jewelry studio, part gemstone jewelry treasure chest, and part art gallery.
Come upstairs, try on the rings, ask questions, learn something new, and discover gemstones you may never have seen before. Whether you’re choosing a reminder of St. Croix, celebrating a meaningful moment, redesigning something you already own, or simply buying yourself a piece because you love it, you are always welcome here.
Because the best jewelry doesn’t just match your outfit.
It feels like you.
