Katherine Karambelas: A Jewelry Profile

Katherine Karambelas is a brand I can totally align with. It’s a Montreal-based jewelry line that is bolstered on family tradition, powerful women, and celebrating individual style. I grew up in a family-owned business that thrived off our energy as a creative unit continually inspiring new ways to push the bread world forward. So, when I was first introduced to Katherine Karambelas, something felt so innately symbiotic.

Katherine Karambelas is a mom of three girls who all contribute to the brand’s design and inspire the jewelry through family travel. The designs are all made from hypoallergenic metals free of lead, nickel, and cadmium. KK also has designs that feature Swarovski crystal and a more upscale gold-plated collection from 18-22K vermeil. It’s the perfect kind of piece you’d want to get or give on Valentine’s Day - I guess I’m sentimental like that, but I love a beautiful piece of jewelry that I can connect to a significant moment.

The KK line was created in 2006 and has continued to evolve. Each season the collections get more and more diverse, all travel-inspired. There are elements that are boho chic and there are pieces that feel like a throwback to classic Victorian times. I personally love the technicolour, rainbow collection and the dainty bee loved pieces. The handmade day-to-evening accessories really fill a void in the market – the overall vintage quality makes me feel like my bracelet or necklace has been passed down from generation to generation. There’s something super powerful about a heritage piece, and whenever I wear my colourful eye necklace, I feel like it’s a memento from another era.

Expressing myself through accessories just adds another outlet for me to show my style. If I’m wearing a simple white tee, then I layer up the jewelry to finesse an easy and laid back look. I can be wearing jeans and a tee, but add chain-on-chain and feel truly feminine, or I can rock a cocktail dress and throw on a large-stone collar necklace and feel like a queen.

Katherine Karambelas is found in shops all over North America. I personally love the easy online access at her eponymous store. But, for those who like in-store experiences she’s at Gilt.com, Nordstrom and Free People.

I’m always looking for jewelry that fits with my personal style and I feel I found an ally in Katherine Karambelas. The rainbows, the hoops, the simplistic, yet high-quality feel… her vision is on point. Bravo!

Photography by Patricia Brochu