In the midst of Carolyn's preparations for Carrie K.’s 15th Anniversary, the team popped in to help her with a blast from the past and to reflect on the wish that changed her life.
15 years later, Carrie K. is an example that wishes do come true! Through intentional jewellery, we are here to spread joy by reminding us to celebrate ourselves, our lives and those we love with good wishes. Wearable wishes. Because wishes are powerful. ✨
Florentine Epiphany: The Wish That
Launched Carrie K.
What wish gave birth to Carrie K.?
I was in Italy, and I still remember the magical moment when I wished I could change my path from being the Managing Director of an advertising agency to becoming a jewellery designer. I was on sabbatical in Florence, Italy, at my silversmithing mentor’s workshop.
The sun was shining through, the rain had just stopped, and I was surrounded by beautiful antique tools. The sunlight was streaming in, and I was just finishing the polish on my first ring. I looked down, and I had this golf-ball-of-emotion moment, realizing, "This is what I want to do for the rest of my life—I want to be a jewellery designer." And 15 years later, it’s no longer a dream.
That’s wild. Is there anyone from the past that were key people in Carrie K.’s milestones that you wish you could interview?
One person I would love to interview is Sharon Lim. She was the editor of Elle magazine when Carrie K. won Elle jewellery Designer of the Year. I remember desperately wishing to win, though it seemed completely impossible because we had just started Carrie K.
At that time, I was still taking night classes at NACA for jewellery fabrication and working off our kitchen table—just me and my dog. Winning such a prestigious award was a major milestone; it opened up so many opportunities, including being picked up by Yuji Yamamoto, who launched Carrie K. in Japan at Takashimaya, Tokyo. There have been so many unbelievable dreams come true, even ones I never dreamed of.
Did you ever think that Carrie K. would be invited to collaborate with Disney?
Oh my gosh, no way, never! That was a really funny story. I remember picking up the phone and hearing someone say, "I’m so-and-so from Disney, and we would love to work with Carrie K."
My first reaction was, "Huh? Who’s prank calling me?"
Then she explained that Disney had been following our work for almost two years. They loved our work because we shared Disney’s passion for storytelling.
This led to some wonderful jewellery collaborations, including a collection for the movie Beauty and the Beast starring Emma Watson. The collection really helped evolve our design approach, particularly with pearls, which I had previously thought of as traditional. We challenged ourselves to make pearls look fresh and edgy, and this gave birth to our signature approach to making pearls contemporary and beautiful.
Turning Point: The Evolution from
Accessories to Fine Jewellery
Wow, so that’s how it started! What have been some of the best and worst reactions to Carrie K.’s jewellery from your clients?
I remember one moment that made me realize we needed to pivot our business from fashion accessories to fine jewellery. One of our long-time clients was checking out our latest collection and said to me, "I think my daughter would love your jewellery." I thought, "Oh my gosh, we’re in trouble because we’re not designing for your daughter. She can’t afford it." That’s when I knew we needed to rethink what we were doing.
At the time, each piece of silver jewellery was handcrafted by silversmiths, so it wasn’t as affordable as mass-produced accessories. We had to make the difficult decision to move out of the “mushy middle” and focus on fine jewellery. We took back all the distribution from the seven or eight countries where we were stocked, evolved our designs, and honed our craft for fine jewellery. It was a challenging but necessary shift.
That sounds like a big moment. Was it the scariest part of Carrie K.’s history?
Surprisingly, it wasn’t. You’d think that stepping out of our comfort zone, where we were seemingly successful and winning awards, would have been the scariest part. But no, the scariest point was COVID.
In 2019, we had just started taking baby steps in fine jewellery and launched our Pearl Bar with a modular necklace design. It had never been done before, so we had no idea if it would succeed. Just as we were gaining popularity in December 2019, COVID hit. Everything came to a halt, and I honestly didn’t know if we would have a business.
So I watched Netflix for a week … binge-watching. And then I thought, "Okay, roll up your sleeves and get on with it." We moved forward, started designing and creating new collections for meaningful milestones. Thank goodness we did because, as things cleared up after COVID, people became more aware of what and who is important to them. If their relationships survived COVID, they were getting married. And that’s where our personalized engagement ring service, now the biggest part of our business, comes in.
Wishes to Reality
Are there any other examples of “Wishes Come True” that you haven’t mentioned yet?
I’ve always wished for our atelier to be in a shop house above a restaurant that serves champagne. And now, we have not one, but two restaurants that serve champagne.
Lastly, is there anything you’d like to say to the people watching or reading this?
Thank you for celebrating our 15th birthday with us. I truly believe that wishes come true. Look at us! Our journey has led me to believe in the power of wishes.
That’s why our intention jewellery is more than just jewellery—it’s a powerful, wearable reminder to celebrate life, promise yourself to meet your dreams, and send thoughtful wishes to the ones you love. Thank you!
