Have you ever wondered if you didn't pick your jewelry, rather your jewelry was chosen for you? If you've ever shopped from Charlie + Marcelle you might just be right. "I choose each stone that goes into my pieces. I choose each stone I feel is meant for the person, and if I feel like I don't have one in stock that is right, I will search for one until I feel it is right for them. I also cleanse each piece, so it's cleansed of all energy before it is sent out. It is an important part of my creation ritual." Kristina Jacob, designer and owner of Charlie + Marcelle, has always brought an element of magic to her work. She jokes she's been into things like tarot, cleansing, and energy rituals since back when it was "weird and creepy" but notes it's much more normal now.
You can certainly feel the magic in her pieces. Every design is bursting with personality and incredible attention to detail. I first found her back when she only had an Etsy store and immediately b-lined for her Egyptian Goddess Ring. I couldn't get past the beautifully detailed wings, the petite little gold feet, and the rose-cut cut diamond headpiece. The magic was palpable even through the computer screen. After a few months of lusting, I threw it on a credit card declaring paying for it would be a problem for Future Claire. Present Claire needed the ring, and she needed it right now. That was almost five years ago and I am still wearing the Goddess ring, even as I write this. (Future Claire paid the CC off just fine, thank you!) I can confirm the second I placed the ring on my finger I felt...better. There was a distinct energy shift. Kristina clearly sends a piece of her heart with every order that ships from her LA studio. I feel that sense of calm every time I wear a design of hers.
Let's rewind a bit. Kristina Jacob (née Marcelle) started Charlie + Marcelle back in 2009. It is named partly after her mother, Charlie, who passed away when Kristina was a teenager. "I was one of those people who didn't know what I wanted to do with my life until I did. And it was right in front of my face." Kristina's love for jewelry had always been part of her, initially ignited by her mother, whose family owned a jewelry store in the Philippines. Kristina grew up going to jewelry shows with her mom and even worked in retail for a long time. "I thought it was just my job...I didn't know that was what I was destined to do." She started designing slowly, making what she could afford, often in base metals before she could move on to casting in precious metals. As is the case for so many budding designers, it was a gradual process that often felt defeating. "It took me a month to sell my first piece," Kristina recalls. But sell it did. And then more followed. Much more. Today, Charlie + Marcelle can be found not only online but also in select boutiques across the country. Clearly, her designs are resonating.
Charlie + Marcelle is centered on the concept of talisman jewelry designed with intention. When talking about her creative process Kristina notes, "it's important for a piece of jewelry to not just be pretty but to have meaning. I try to make things that I want, that's how it starts, it's very selfish. I make things I love." Kristina's warm and soothing energy radiates from her creations - it is the very thing I think people latch on to when they discover her pieces. When I asked her what she hopes clients know when shopping at C+M she told me, "[I would want them to know] that what they are buying was made thoughtfully in every way. I put my heart, soul, and blood, sweat, and tears into what I do. Every single time. I want them to know that's what they're getting. It's not something that's massed produced. It is something that is a part of me." The creative process is an extremely personal one, as any creator knows. It's the fuel that keeps us all going, because, as Kristina points out, it's also very fulfilling. "...watching [my designs] come to life - it's the best. It's extremely addicting and rewarding. If you're a creative person you can't help but create." Amen to that.
So, what can you expect from Charlie + Marcelle? You can expect drop-dead-gorgeous handcrafted fine jewelry made entirely in LA. You can expect designs inspired by mythology, folklore, superstition, religion, and nature. From her best-selling Mother Mary pieces (beloved even by the non-religious) for protection to her Memento Mori skulls to remind you to live in the moment, to her one-of-a-kind statement rings encrusted with precious gemstones like opal, ruby, and emerald - you can expect to find treasure. Don't even get me started on her snake and Ouroboros rings. You can expect incredible customer service from a designer who runs every aspect of her business pretty much on her own. She is also, admittedly, painfully shy. So while you might not find her in front of the camera, you will discover her warm and loving personality through her designs. What you can expect...is magic.
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To celebrate the launch of their new site and the expansion of the Zodiac Line, Kristina is generously offering 20% off to my followers with discount code CLAIRE20. This coupon code is a limited time offer, so get to shopping! Also, for transparency sake, it is not an affiliate code, just a gift from the brand for my incredible followers to expand their collections at an insane discount.
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This post is brought you in sponsorship with Charlie + Marcelle. All opinions are my own.