When the Bible speaks about talents in Matthew 6, to one He gave five talents, to another He gave two, and a third received one, it’s talking about a measurement of gold. How many have taken these talents literally? It might explain why some folks seem to succeed in everything they do. Enter Megan Thornton.

A 1998 graduate of Pleasant Grove High School, Megan wasted no time putting her talents to use. She attended Oklahoma State University to study apparel design. With her heart set on the fashion industry, Megan set her eyes toward Miami, Florida. A summer internship before her senior year secured her a full-time position as an assistant designer for Eberjey. “The most amazing lingerie, swim, and loungewear company in Miami, Florida,” Megan says. “[It was] such a great opportunity, and I soaked up so much knowledge in that role.”

*This wedding set is an example of Megan’s collection. It features 18K yellow gold with antique diamonds and salt & pepper diamonds.*

But Megan also learned something about herself. She enjoyed the creative process the most. She wanted to be more hands-on, physically make items. So, she started thinking about her options. She needed a medium that would give her creative control while allowing her to be part of the process from start to finish.

In college, Megan took a jewelry-making class as an elective. She was mesmerized. “Fire and tools and precious metals and gems – it felt primal and intuitive, but as I already had my job planned out, I never looked at it as anything other than a fun class,” Megan explains.

Flanked by her grandmothers, Joyce Thornton and Joyce Files, Megan graduated from Pleasant Grove High School in 1998. She admits that she was surrounded by paint, crafts, fabric, and lace as a child and credits her grandmothers as the reason for her interest in art and fashion.

But the whole purpose of the talents parable is sewing seeds to reap a harvest. A seed was planted in Megan, and now it had room to grow. Megan began researching and determined that jewelry designer could be a legitimate career move. She returned to school and founded her company, and the rest is history.

Well, not exactly. Megan had friends in Fort Worth, Texas. She loved the museums and cultural district and decided to make it the base for her operations. Working with jewelry required additional training and certifications, so Megan attended the Texas Institute for Jewelry Technology. She also needed to separate Megan, the designer, from Megan, the person. With a subtle nod to nature, Megan shortened her surname and Megan Thorne Fine Jewels was born. Now, she just needed to make it all work. “If I had to sum up my strategy looking back, it would honestly be – naivety,” Megan says.

Although her time at Eberjey gave her a foundation in wholesale business operations, she had no exposure to the jewelry industry. She booked her first trade show on a whim and a prayer. “Of course, I had no business being there with my mostly bare display cases,” Megan says.

But she was watering the seeds. Megan took the opportunity to observe and learn. The experience evolved into a strategy of relationships. “Our success is rooted in deep relationships with our accounts and clients – we find that working with fewer people but having them be repeat customers is more rewarding, both emotionally and financially, than thousands of one-off sales.”

Megan has used word-of-mouth, trade shows, and social media to build her business. Her designs are carried in many of the top designer jewelry boutiques, both nationally and internationally.

Engagement rings and wedding bands are the company’s bread and butter, but she loves commissions. “We love custom work reusing the client’s family stones or inherited jewelry,” Megan says. “Our work speaks to modern women who like a wink at tradition. I respect the inherent value of the materials we are working with, and want a design to feel timeless, but with a feminine modern edge.”

*Megan lights a torch in preparation of casting in her first jewelry studio which was located in her garage at her home.*

Megan Thorne Fine Jewels specializes in goldsmithing. They steer clear of silver and alternative metals like titanium, preferring 18K recycled gold, platinum, diamonds, and precious gems. Many of the diamonds are antique. They source their stones as ethically and transparently as possible. Maybe talent as a measurement of gold is more than coincidence.

Megan Thorne Atelier is a working studio in Fort Worth with a showroom fronting their jewelry production for local clients. The website services long-distance clients. The company has grown to seven employees, and Megan’s husband, Jaz, has joined the team. A musician by trade, Jaz has generously set his passion aside temporarily to aid in the company’s expansion. “I think I’ve got about another year or so of his full-time help before he bails to start playing again,” Megan says.

Success has a learning curve. “If I were to do it again, I would have found a business partner in the very beginning who excelled at those business-y things that I find tedious, and I would have had more time to focus on design and creation.”

Although it conflicts with the concept of “love what you do and success will follow,” Megan encourages others to enjoy their hobbies and find pleasure and peace in them. She cautions against turning a hobby into a business. They say the devil is in the details, and unfortunately, that is where most entrepreneurs spend the bulk of their time. Invoicing, operations, and employee management are as much responsible for the success of a business as the creative processes.

*Megan and her brothers, Daniel and Patrick, and grandmother, Joyce Thornton, digging for diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas.*

And as important as the operations and the products is the company’s establishment within its community. Megan Thorne Fine Jewels values its city and supports local organizations, including SafeHaven of Tarrant County which provides support and resources to victims of domestic violence. NearSouthside is an organization that is working toward revitalization of the studio’s neighborhood.

Megan does not miss the slower pace of small-town living, preferring the bustle and big city opportunities of Fort Worth. But she and Jaz and their 6-year-old son, Elwood, visit Texarkana often. Megan’s parents, Dr. Charles and Melanie Thornton still live and work in Texarkana. “Texarkana feels both completely different and absolutely the same as when I lived there. My son plays at the same parks that I did as a child which feels warm and nostalgic for me, although he enjoys many more ice creams than I remember being allowed to drip all over Spring Lake Park.”

The Book of Matthew goes on to explain what happens to the men and their talents. The man with one talent hid it, and God called him a wicked, hard man. The man reaped where he hadn’t sown. He wasted his talent. The men with two and five talents traded their talents and made more talents. Because they were faithful over a few things, God made them rulers over many things. They entered the joy of the Lord.

But here’s the thing. This is literally Megan’s business plan. She had a talent, and it happened to be working with gold; still don’t think that is a coincidence. She shared her talents with others and built relationships that added to her opportunities. God honored those opportunities, and Megan Thorne Fine Jewels thrives. To one He gave a talent. Megan’s success is solid gold.

Feature Stories

To One He Gave a Talent