Eight years and a leap of faith later, Carter Eve Jewelry is making a name for itself with original designs, handmade with devotion, and acting as modern day talismans to empower the divine femininity in each of us. 

Often considered the most uplifting commodity a woman can own, the art of jewelry has long since graced the world representing one’s love and commitment to the relationship with themselves and for others to see. Choosing such adornments comes down to two main considerations — personality, and sometimes even more so, personal history. Revolutionizing traditional ornamental pieces, we spoke to Carter Eve of rising jewelry house, Carter Eve Jewelry, to discover her journey as a “one woman show” in an inspiring pursuit to provide handcrafted fine jewelry to empower and protect the modern woman.

A surprising fact about Carter Eve — creative visionary, goldsmith, and founder and designer of Carter Eve Jewelry — is that Carter was first a musician long before she dived head first into her latest role of fine jewelry designer. “I started playing the violin when I was five years old,” revealed the goldsmith. “I love the soulful quality of old American Folk songs.” According to the reputation of this renowned string instrument, the sound quality of a violin has defied attempts to explain or equal it. A sound noted with characteristics parallel to the attributes of fine jewelry pieces that women exhibit on a daily basis— eloquent, sensuous, lustrous, bright, brilliant, pure, sustaining — in essence an ode to the timeless. Drawn to the sustaining and rich sounds of the violin as a young girl, it is fitting that this designer’s path has led her to the elegant craft of jewelry making. True for any designer, jewelry making is both a labor of love and a stroke of genius. 

“I have always loved jewelry,” began Carter, “but it was not until I took my first metalsmithing class in high school in Vermont that I fell in love with the process of making jewelry.” Combine her out-of-the-norm elective with her fond and distinct memories of her father returning home from travels to India and Columbia with parcels of emeralds and sapphires, it was the process of transforming the stones into beautiful rings that the designer found most intriguing. “I saw those little packages containing gemstones as a child and noticed the precious way they were handled and the brilliance of the colors and cuts. They drew me in with their magnetic vibrations. When I took my first metalsmithing class in high school I knew there was something very powerful in what I was doing. It felt like this magical process that you had to be initiated into through hard work and attention to detail.” A refreshing departure from the standard in creating adornments, Carter was intentional to immerse herself in the entire process of crafting jewelry from start to finish. Moving to New York City at just 19, the designer resided above a jewelry store realizing for the first time that jewelry could be much more than a striking ornament; but a career, that “this could be my life,” heartened Carter. “I then studied traditional goldsmithing in Brooklyn and went on to get my B.F.A in Jewelry and Objects from Savannah College of Art and Design.” Leaving no stone unturned, the designer made a commitment to herself to learn everything there was to learn about jewelry design, metalsmithing, gemstones, and even the psychology behind why we love to adorn ourselves. “I apprenticed with a master Goldsmith for two years in Miami before continuing my graduate education in Jewelry and Metalsmithing at Rhode Island School of Design. Throughout my career I have worked as Head of Jewelry Design and Creative Director for numerous brands before taking the leap of faith and launching my own namesake brand, Carter Eve Jewelry.”

With an undeniable draw to fashion’s most symbolic accessory, Carter was heavily inspired by her mother’s career as an interior designer, always immersed in the world of design. Taking an interest in the details of her mother’s work, the jewelry maker was fascinated by the fabrics and samples her mother was choosing to the paint colors and artifacts. “I could always be found with a notebook, sketching various objects and scenes from the natural world and writing down my observations,” reminisces Carter. A beautiful habit the designer continues to showcase alongside of each of her released collections illuminating the importance of the process as an entirety. Noting the emphasis on Art Jewelry and non-traditional adornments during her studies, it was wearable fine jewelry that inspired the designer, “I wanted to blur the lines between life imitating art and art imitating life.” Now delivering innovative styles and a distinctive aesthetic, it is only just the beginning for Carter Eve Jewelry. Releasing her first collection “Sirena”, meaning “Siren” in Spanish, in 2016 — an ode to the mystical fairytales of the sea, mermaids — it was not until February of this year, five years later, that Carter launched her namesake company. 

Finding inspiration everywhere — the sea, the natural world, architecture, historical objects, paintings, instruments, ancient adornments, armor, symbols, etc. — Carter is always attuned to her surroundings being met with interesting combinations of form, texture, light and shadow. “I often do deep dives into a particular era in history that interests me and I find ancient objects along the way that often inspire my work,” revealed the designer. “I have such a range in the work that I do. A lot of the time I just follow where the inspiration is taking me and things evolve from there. However, some key elements that are present throughout Carter Eve Jewelry are my use of clean lines, structure and balance. The color of the gemstones combined with placement of prongs gives certain pieces a whimsical essence, but at the core of my designs there are  always clean edges, lines and orderly compositions. I am a big believer in less is more when it comes to design and working within certain limitations to generate variations of the original, underlying concept.” Really drawn to her custom “All-Seeing Eye Medallion” with an Emerald Marquise center, the designer admires the multitude of meanings behind this particular piece, like “its genderless quality as well as the combination of Emerald and Gold. It goes with every outfit and is a reminder that Spirit sees all.”

“Jewelry in its nature is extremely personal, sentimental and individual,” continues the designer, “as it is specifically designed to be worn on the human body and has an intimate quality since it is directly touching the skin. I like to think of the body as a canvas or as a site. My latest collection is designed for all women who seek empowerment and protection in the form of amulets and talismans, or who feel the work speaks to them. When I create custom jewelry pieces for specific clients, I always like to get a sense of what their essence is, what their interests are and what their personal style is. Words can’t describe the emotion behind a family heirloom, for example, even if it is not made of fine materials or particularly beautiful. Sometimes the sentimental quality behind a piece is what gives it its power and meaning.” Taking the opportunity to explore the professional mind of a seasoned jewelry maker, we were curious to divulge the designer’s “do’s” and “don’t’s” to the art of tailoring jewelry. “How each person styles their jewelry is an expression of their own unique life story, taste and aesthetic,” shares Carter. “There are some days when I feel like stacking and layering and other days when I feel more minimal and just want to let specific pieces shine in all their glory. Jewelry styling can never be wrong if there is soul behind each piece in your collection.” That does not mean each jewelry box should be without “a pair of gold hoops, studs for everyday wear, a medallion/talisman/amulet that means something to you personally, a bracelet that you can put on and never take off, and a curation of rings, both for everyday and when you feel like making a statement.”

Headquartered at her design studio in Santa Monica, California, the designer is observant in the varying styles and tastes in relation to geographic regions. “However, some of my best-sellers do well in different locations at once,” shares Carter. “It almost seems as though people gravitate toward a particular piece at the same time no matter what the current trends are regionally and that piece takes on a life of its own. Suddenly, everyone wants one. I think it speaks to the certain magnetic quality behind great designs and gemstones and the effect they have on the collective consciousness.” Recognized more and more for the immense effort and care behind each bespoke piece of jewelry, to the sourcing of ethical materials and the meticulous craftsmanship, Carter is grateful for the love and support her line has been met with thus far. “I hope you feel it in the work, both now and for generations to come,” heartens the designer. “The best advice I can give to future designers is to gain as much knowledge and experience first so that you set yourself up with a strong foundation. It’s also important to keep the creative spirit alive by not taking yourself too seriously and incorporating elements of play in the creative process. Most importantly, setting goals and sticking to them is a must. Once you know what you want to achieve, getting there is actually just about taking that first step. Be fearless! Anything is possible if you set your mind to it.”