Strongwater began his career in 1979 while a student at the Rhode Island School of Design. After garnering raves for a necklace he’d made his mother, he took some jewelry samples to the open buyer days at New York’s department stores. Soon he had a pocketful of orders. When he’d filled them—a feat accomplished between classes with the help of his fellow students—a buyer called to inquire about his next collection. Strongwater realized opportunity was knocking. He left school and in short order was designing jewels for Oscar de La Renta’s runway collection and being featured in Vogue. His shift to Jewels for the Home came equally serendipitously. As the holiday season neared in 1994, Strongwater decided to make picture frames for friends and buyers. He positioned his jewelencrusted earrings in the corners and connected them with a filigree of jewelry parts. One buyer was so thrilled, she said, “whatever you make, we’ll buy.” Within three years his Jewels for the Home had totally replaced his fashion business.