Bambi Knight has got her head in the clouds. On the occasion she comes down she can be found in her jewelry store, Designs by Knight, where she carves and molds, polishes and perfects the jewelry that adorns the cases.
Always after a thrill and some fun, Knight found herself launching out of an airplane at 19-years-old. After that first jump she was hooked and soon became a professional skydiver. Her team of 12-15 women, The Misty Blues, have traveled all over the world, and Knight herself holds six world records in skydiving. Knight and her team have also been featured in magazines such as Sports Illustrated. An employee of corporate America, Knight found her passion for work in the corporate world was replaced with a desire for a new adventure. After an internship offer from a jeweler, she dropped everything and this story grew from there.
Jumping between her professional skydiving career and her jewelry making appears completely natural. Jewelry-making inspiration finds her in every corner, like the ever-changing patterns the Misty Blues make as they soar through the air. She finds inspiration from architecture to nature.
“It’s so fun to see how the trends change and every piece of jewelry has a story. Estate pieces or something you make, it all has a story behind it,” exclaims Knight.
As a gemologist in Park City for 25 years, Knight finally found her own space in the Benson building in Prospector Square where she can be found busy in the back, molding leaves in a molten pot for her latest inspiration or setting gems in a wax mold for a custom ring requested by a customer. Certified as a graduate Gemologist by the Gemology Institute of America, Knight is always pining for more knowledge and acquiring new skills. She takes classes to challenge herself and help her grow with the ever-changing wave of the jewelry industry. Knight makes numerous pieces of new jewelry a month on top of fixing and creating things for others.
Speaking of others, when Knight isn’t soaring or shaping, she can be found doing philanthropic work for foundations such as the National Ability Center, Adopt an Native Elder, Playing for Life and Image Reborn. A ball of energy, Knight gives so much to so many in her community in every area. An entertainer, an advocate, a gemologist, a giver—it is never-ending and infectious. Step into her shop and let her send you off on an adventure as you admire a bracelet from the 1920s or inquire about the latest trend of recycling and remodeling with jewelry. See her eyes light up, her wheels turning with ideas and designs that she can’t wait to create.
Bambi Knight has got her head in the clouds a lot of the time, but when she lands, her heart is in the hands she helps and the jewelry she creates… before she takes off for the clouds again.
