Meet Carelle.

The most I learn about the jewelry industry, the more important it seems to me to recognize the people and the principles behind a brand’s pretty pieces. Today, we’re going to talk about what makes Carelle special before we even take a look at any of their designs.

Carelle was founded in 1977 by the fabulous, charismatic, and talented Chana Regev. Chana’s decision to launch Carelle was a continuation of the family business – she’s a fourth generation jeweler – but with a different focus. Chana’s line would be her own designs, created by a woman, for women to enjoy.

The name of the brand, “Carelle,” actually means because of her in French.

When I visited the Carelle offices, I was greeted like royalty and then immediately absorbed as part of the family. I sat down with Chana, her son, and several of Carelle’s other employees and we spent hours looking at jewelry and talking about anything and everything.

I actually had to send over interview questions after I’d returned home, because we were having so much fun chatting about our lives and families that that I forgot to ask about the brand’s inspiration and history while I was actually on site.

One of the coolest parts of my visit to the Carelle offices was that I actually got to visit the workshop where Carelle’s pieces are manufactured as well…because it’s directly across the hallway from the brand’s lovely, fuchsia-accented offices.

To get from the sunny Carelle conference room to the actual benches where the jewelry is manufactured, I had to walk about 30 feet.

This is highly unusual and totally incredible. It’s one thing to hear that a brand’s designs are manufactured locally, it’s another thing to be able to walk across a hallway and see it happening. Tomer, Chana’s son and my tour guide, greeted everyone in the workshop by name as they let me peer over their shoulders at their masterpieces in the making.

Here’s a brand new bracelet design in the making. It was pulled out from under a microscope so that I could feel its articulation.

Once the bracelet passes quality control, those empty settings will be completed with diamonds.

This ring tree was way heavier than I expected! The picture of it in my hand is super awkward, so here it is on a windowsill. So cool to see the magic happening.

It’s not only me who thinks Carelle’s dedication to truly local manufacturing is noteworthy: they recently became the very first jewelry brand to achieve the highly respected certification from the fashion and film-driven ‘Made in NY’ initiative. This certification recognizes that Carelle’s jewelry meets the highest standards of quality, design, craftsmanship and that its operations are fully based in New York City, helping artisan careers thrive in America.

In Chana’s own words:

“The Made in NY certification is a great honor for me and everyone at Carelle. New York City is nicknamed The City of Dreams for a reason, and we hope that our long standing efforts to help jewelry craftsmanship flourish locally can ensure that it continues to be a place of opportunity and prosperity.”

With all this context in mind, it’s time to admire the finished jewelry!

The Carelle woman is dynamic, vibrant, and embraces the balance between classic charm and modern femininity. She is strong and spirited with a cultivated taste for aesthetics and sophisticated eye for style, art and, travel. She wears jewelry as a vehicle for expressing her personal story and passion for life.

These Whirl cuffs epitomize that for me; they’re elegant, comfortable, stylish, luxurious, and perfectly made. I want one. Or five.

Check out these gorgeous earrings. Bright and bubbly from the front, gold and lovely from the back. You know by now how much I love jewelry that’s beautiful on the side that doesn’t even normally show.

These could have been a simple pair of earrings, but the care taken in the precise placement of the gemstones and the lovely details on the flip side make them something really special.

Here’s the ring version of the Whirl design, which I showed you up above in a cuff!

These are just as good, but finger-sized. They come in several varieties, depending on how many layers of whirl you want.

How joyful is this necklace? It’s looks like bubbles frozen mid-flight. I love, love, love it.

The back of this piece has the same beautiful gold details as the pretty gemstone earrings I showed you up above. That’s Carelle for you – serious attention to detail and perfect execution every time.

This is the Moderne Penta ring – such a great sleek, modern easy statement piece.

I would wear this every day.

Now THIS is a statement of a statement ring. You could wear this every day, but you’d better be a baller to get away with it.

I especially enjoy this piece because the center stone happens to be Carelle’s signature color. Gotta love that major pink.

These pendants are so good: they’re just the kind of thing that women want to wear every day.

Interesting, beautiful, and indulgent (those diamonds really twinkle) without being overly flashy. They’re the perfect little luxury.

Hello, glorious cuff. I adore you and your stylized flowers and your sparkly diamonds and your luscious, verdant gemstones.

Here’s your next go-to piece crush. The knot rings remind me of the old trick where you tie a string around your finger to remember something.

I have never seen anyone actual do that in real life, but I love the idea that one of these rings could be worn as a reminder to remember something in particular.

A bright note to end with! Holding these earrings was like holding sunshine.

As Chana says:

Much like gemstones and diamonds, women are multi-faceted and unique—shining with their own rare brilliance.”

I hope you enjoyed learning more about Carelle right along with me, darlings! I’d like to thank Chana, Tomer, and all the wonderful folks at Carelle who were so welcoming to me when I stopped by in NYC.

It was a delight to see your workshop and your fabulous designs in person, and I can’t wait to see more from you.

This sponsored post was brought to you by Carelle.