The creative process is an special experience, no matter what the medium. The way a creator arrives at the finish line, final product complete, is a wild, windy road that’s hard to explain. My love and passion for design is instinctive, and part of the reason I adore our showroom on Valencia is because clients shopping CMD collections can also watch us—in action—crafting pieces. But before we begin hammering out jewelry, it all begins with a sketch…
After outlining a brief sketch, I typically dive right into handling materials. While in the creative zone, 10 hours passes like 10 minutes (I’ve been known to stay in the studio past midnight more than once). It’s important to envision the entire collection, then carefully edit to make it more complex.
Exploring and perfecting the creative process is a true joy in my career. Watching dreams come to life in the form of wearable, unique jewelry is always fulfilling. How do you “get in your zone” while being creative? We’d love to hear about your process in the comments below.

Comments will be approved before showing up.
It’s easy to say “woman-owned.” It’s more meaningful to pause and remember that every woman-owned business begins with a little girl who had the curiosity, creativity, stubbornness, and imagination to make her dreams come true. Probably a little bit of fearless chaos, too. International Women’s Day is about honoring the journey — the girlhood, the awkward [...]
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on some of my favorite custom projects — the kind where memory, metal and meaning all collide. From heirloom diamonds and recycled gold to entirely bespoke wedding bands, these are the stories that remind me why I feel so called to this work... If you’ve been holding onto diamonds, want to recycle metal for [...]
When LP Giobbi asked me backstage at the Fox Theatre if I would design her and Chad’s wedding bands, I was absolutely floored. Floored in the “hold it together, Colleen” kind of way. Internally, I was doing cartwheels. If you’ve been here a while, you know that LP and I first connected through music and mutual admiration. What began as a soul-recognition [...]