The road to becoming a jewelry designer is a long and arduous one. Aspirants work as apprentices and have mentors, much the same way they did in the Middle Ages. All of the top designers achieved success based on their passion, vision and hard work. Katharine James is no exception.
After studying fashion merchandising at Brooks College, Katharine obtained a position at the famous specialty store, I. Magnin, in San Francisco. Her talent for merchandising was apparent from the start. The young designer had a particular affinity for luxury products, especially in the bridal department. After reading a book about weddings, Katharine was certain she had found her calling. She wanted to help brides everywhere experience their dream wedding day.
Shortly thereafter, Katharine James accepted a job at the prestigious Tiffany & Co. in Beverly Hills, where she began to experiment with her own designs. She also met her mentor, the master jewelry designer, Michael B. She left Tiffany & Co. to him launch his first bridal collection. After nearly a decade with Michael B., she bid a fond farewell to her mentor and went out on her own.
Katharine's business and marketing acumen were beyond reproach. She had helped make Michael B. a top bridal brand as vice president of marketing and sales. But when she launched Katharine James in 2005, she had a single article of jewelry, her Sweet Juliet engagement ring. Most designers have entire collections when they introduce a new luxury brand. Fortunately, the ring was a huge success and it gave the young designer the inspiration and motivation to complete her first jewelry collection.
Her line of luxury jewelry has since grown to include three signature collections: Juliet's Love®, Bella’s Love® and Bouquet. As a designer, Katharine James is most assuredly hands-on. She is involved in every aspect and stage of the design and manufacturing process, from the initial sketches to the final quality reviews. Her design style is strongly influenced by delicate Renaissance designs with a modern flair. The designer prefers working with platinum over the other precious metals and adores pave settings and classic accents.
All of the articles Katharine James puts her name on are entirely handcrafted by master artisans. Each signature collection contains exquisite engagement rings, wedding bands that include personalized engraved messages, stunning dangle earrings, bracelets and necklaces. They are crafted with care and exhibit only the finest workmanship, from the intricate millgrain and scrolling to the complex beading and braiding. In a relatively short period of time, Katharine James has created a luxury bridal brand from scratch.
