As a woman and as an artist Caroline is a class act - sophisticated, warm and pure. Her jewelry is so smooth and soft, it feels like an extension of your body when you wear it. And thus, in anticipation of our Caroline Ellen trunk show, we decided to interview the lady herself!

When you were a little girl did you want to be a jewelry designer when you grew up?

No, I had no idea that would be a direction I would go in.  I did love making beaded chokers, though, especially with many different colored beads in repeating patterns.  And I loved making very detailed drawings.  I am naturally drawn toward making intricate, detailed things.

Tell us about your modeling days!

It was a wonderful experience, and I was exposed to so many creative people who were succeeding as freelancers.  I thought it was normal to just do something you loved, to try to make something beautiful and get paid for it, and when I discovered the jewelry school where I first studied, it was like a big "A-HA" moment, li ke I had finally found exactly what I was meant to do.

What’s your favorite piece in your collection?

No favorites, but I have a favorite concept about how to wear jewelry.  As I get older, I really feel the need for a jewelry "wardrobe".  You know I am not a fancy person, but this is not about fancy--this is about having your tried and true basics that you can easily turn to, no matter what the occasion, or what your mood is.  And one very simple way to have a wardrobe is to have a good selection of rings that can be mixed and matched and stacked or unstacked. My suggestion: buy a narrow engraved ring, a plain gold band with 12 little sparkly diamonds set in it, and a narrow pave diamond ring, and you have the start of your wardrobe.  Later on you can add a wide engraved band, or maybe a ruby or pink sapphire pave band, some single stone rings, and you can also add a few rings in slightly different sizes to give you some versatility...it's all a lot of fun to play with the combinations.

Then there's the necklace wardrobe, which can start with a selection of simple beaded necklaces in a slightly shorter length than you usually wear.  These should be in colors you like to wear most--maybe your starter group could be a Sleeping Beauty turquoise strand, or a black diamond strand or a labradorite strand.  Or moonstone, or blue topaz...the point is, this necklace is your base layer.  It could even be your grandmother's pearls (I can restring them with one of my own hand made toggles for a quick, easy update). Then you add a gold chain that sits below the beads, at least an inch longer, but it could be several inches longer.  On the gold chain you can hang a pendant or a group of pendants.  I like to mix and match the pendants, layering an engraved pendant with a pave pendant or two.  You can customize the engraving, too!

So, with this group of necklaces you can go from casual to dressy very easily--You can wear the black diamond strand alone for a clean and chic evening look.  Or you can add a gold chain with several pendants on it for a funkier daytime look.  Take away the black beads and add a turquoise strand, and it's even more casual.

If we’re new to your line, where do we start? What’s signature?

I wear my five-petal flower pendant every day, and my flowers are definitely signature "me".  My engraved pendants and rings are also very key to the collection, and the rings are great for stacking.

What’s your favorite stone?

I love them all!  But seriously, I feel so incredibly in awe of these natural creations, and so grateful to be able to hold them in my hands and try to do them justice with my designs.  I have the great good fortune to know many wonderful and inspiring gem dealers and lapidaries around the world, and they are the source of the rare and exciting gems I work with.  And because I make all of my pieces individually by hand, I have the luxury to be able to buy one-of-a- kind stones:  I do not have the pressure to buy 500 identical (less exciting) stones for a large department store order.  So whether it is a glorious crystal opal from Australia, or a mesmerizing purple Ceylon sapphire, or a glowing Columbian emerald, I look for the stones that speak to me, that give me butterflies in my stomach! 

So now we're even more in love with Caroline. Shocker. Come meet her in person: Friday, May 7: Greenwich and Saturday, May 8: Larchmont, and check out her latest masterpieces! As her line is quite exclusive and only sold in very few, select boutiques, the show is a very special event!

                                                                           View Full Caroline Ellen Collection