Devon Page McCleary, a jewelry designer who admired multicultural totems, died Saturday at her Los Angeles home after a battle with cancer. She was 62.
Sold for many years at Barneys New York and worn by celebrities including Elton John and Madonna, McCleary’s jewelry reflected her love of different ethnic cultures and spiritual heritages. Her exuberant personality and generosity also epitomized her beliefs.
McCleary was known for diamond-studded gold Maltese cross pendants, but her jewelry incorporated many relics and talismans, from evil eyes to crystal orbs, rosary beads, charms and guardian angels. Fifteen years ago, she was making the Tibetan wooden bead prayer bracelets with pave charms that are trendy today.
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“A lot of her designs reflected her overriding spirituality that guided her,” observed Paul Schneider, co-owner of Twist in Portland, Ore., which has carried her line for 13 years. “Many people related to how gorgeous and beautiful they were and how luxurious it felt wearing them, and others really connected to the spirituality and realized that there was some emotional power behind it.…The case glowed with her work. It had energy coming off it.”
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Born and reared by wealthy American parents in Mexico City, McCleary approached jewelry as an artist and was never particularly concerned with commercial demands. She started her business in 1991 when friends asked to buy the pieces she had made for herself. It remained small and based in her home, partly due to her frail health. Debilitating renal failure led to a kidney transplant in 1999 and ongoing dialysis.
McCleary obtained a college degree in the U.S. and then traveled for several years, living in Oregon, Hawaii and France, according to Nilou Settimio, a close friend. She worked as a scuba diving instructor for Club Med to experience the world both above and below the sea, Settimio added.
Her passion for collecting antiques led her to open a store on Main Street in Venice, Calif., with Harvey Silverman in the early to mid Eighties. McCleary’s Westwood home was so well decorated that she was sought as an interior designer and worked for Bob Dylan and Barbra Streisand, Settimio said.
In 1995, McCleary moved to a Spanish colonial home in Hancock Park that had an unusual pool in the shape of a Maltese cross. McCleary is survived by a brother, Kirt. Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, Settimio asked that donations be made to the non-profit Anne K. Taylor Fund in Billings, Mont., which rescues injured Kenyan wildlife and provides public services to the Masai community.