Living the charmed life can be easier than you think. From silver, gold to color stones, Caterina Jewelry has unveiled a selection of rare collections filled with an assortment of simply stunning and stylish pieces that will adorn your neck, ears, and wrists. The art of being a woman is so spectacular especially with the right jewels to make you shine. Co-Founded by Cathy Barouch, CEO, who always had a passion for design since she was a child. Born and raised in France, Cathy grew up appreciating exquisite fashion, art, and jewelry. After working for brands such as BCBG Max Azria, she decided to merge her creative skills with her business background and co-founded Caterina Jewelry with Lara Korhammer, her roommate from college.
Together they set out to create collections that offer high-quality, beautiful, and unique charm bracelets, necklaces, and earrings that are meant to inspire women to look and feel special. Knowing how difficult it can be to open clasps and place charms on bracelets, they invented The Charm Opener, an incredible tool that’s taken the jewelry industry by storm. Cathy is now the CEO and Head Designer of Caterina Jewelry and lives in Los Angeles, California. Lara currently lives in Australia with her family. We got up close and personal with them to learn more…
Beverly Hills Magazine: When did the company start and how?
Caterina Jewelry: I’ve always been very fond of jewelry. Fueled by my mother’s passion for jewelry design, I used to come up with design concepts that I’d submit to a local jeweler for him to create for me and my family. Lara and I decided to launch Caterina Jewelry after we designed the charm opener. At that time, we were in the process of designing a line of charm bracelets, but we were soon faced with the difficulty of opening them. Bracelets can be especially challenging to unclasp, especially when you’re trying to remove them, whether it’s to add or remove charms, or simply remove them at the end of the day. Realizing that no tool on the market was really effective at opening bracelets, and inspired to make a difference in the industry, we implemented a practical solution that would address the challenge of unclasping bracelets, and particularly charm bracelets — the charm opener.
It was a pivotal moment for the company. Soon after the launch of the charm opener, we embraced new design concepts that would put a modern spin on charm jewelry. The launch of the CJ CHARM COLLECTION followed. The collection combines the versatile style and playfulness with the beautiful simplicity and exquisite look of classic jewelry, offering spectacular statement-making pieces that dazzle away with splendor. It’s actually what inspired us to design the MINIMALISTA COLLECTION, which we created to please both minimalistas and maximalistas.
Beverly Hills Magazine: What is the vision for the brand?
Caterina Jewelry: Our creations tell the story of every woman’s unique style and intriguing personality, both reflected in their timeless quality and innovative spirit. We design one-of-a-kind collections with a modern aesthetic that transcends time and trends, and ingenious designs that offer a contemporary take on classic jewelry pieces. Inspired by the technical luxury trend, our patented collections artfully blend European flair with American ingenuity, celebrating femininity from all angles.
Beverly Hills Magazine: What makes your jewelry unlike any other?
Caterina Jewelry: Versatility and timeless elegance are the keynotes that distinguish our creations. Beautifully crafted from .925 sterling silver and encrusted with spectacularly-colored gemstones, our collections incorporate stylish elements that appeal to women of all ages, capturing their unparalleled sense of style and individuality. Our collections include ingenious designs that reinvent classic jewelry pieces, adding finesse and innovative edge to every woman’s jewelry box. Some of our designs are actually patent-pending, including the MINIMALISTA and ALIZEE Collections.
Beverly Hills Magazine: What are the main collections available now?
Caterina Jewelry: Our main collections include the CJ CHARM Collection, MINIMALISTA Collection, Kiss Kiss Collection, and the new ALIZEE Collection, which we’ll be launching in a few months’ time. The ALIZEE Collection puts a modern, innovative spin on the classic bangle by offering a unique mechanism that is fully compatible with our assortment of CJ CHARMS — a new range of beads that can be secured at one end of the bangle to personalize its look. As the CJ CHARMS are removable, you can also add any other brand of charms and beads to the bangle to create a jewelry styling that perfectly incorporates your personal taste and style.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Why is jewelry a necessary part of our lives?
Caterina Jewelry: How you style your pieces reflects not only your personality but also the values that make you unique and irreplaceable. Worn as a fashion accessory, jewelry beautifully completes an outfit while making it look a little more polished. But there’s also something magical about a piece of jewelry — be it a gift from someone special or a treat to yourself, jewelry is perfect to celebrate a meaningful bond, a milestone, or simply capture life’s sweetest, most precious moments.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Have you discovered a personal purpose in your contribution to the world?
Caterina Jewelry: Our jewelry creations are an exploration of femininity — a discovery of one’s individuality, self-worth, and inner beauty, strikingly rendered in our designs, which reflect the unique gifts that women bring to the world, so they can reach their full potential. To visually reflect this potential, our products are crafted from materials of superlative quality, such .925 sterling silver adorned with bouquets of beautiful, ready-to-love crystals. Their simple, elegant aesthetic enhance the brightness of the gemstones, which symbolize the light of each woman’s uniqueness and beauty — both inside and out.
We have also partnered with several charities, including High Hopes, which is dedicated to the rehabilitation and retraining of people who suffered head injuries. The program is further endorsed by singer Mary Desmond.
These charming keepsakes are available in stores across the United States. To see a complete list of stores carrying CJ products, please visit our Store Locator page.
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As the holiday season is all about the thrill of giving, we have prepared a special gift guide to help you pick a meaningful, heartfelt present that will cherish your deepest connections. The Holiday Gift Guide is available here.
