Blog

We’re kicking up our heels with excitement about the latest buzz from our showroom: a brand new collection is just about ready to launch. With each new CMD collection comes a happy wave of emotion; creating jewelry (in both our California and New York production studios) is always exhilarating.

One of the best things about the Bay Area is its proximity to nature—drive a couple miles any direction and you’ll find something beautiful. Recently, I unplugged for four days, and I admit - living “off the grid” was fantastic. Just north of Sacramento, on the Feather River, we joined a group of friends and embraced a nature-filled time. 

Daily life has always influenced the CMD aesthetic, and in many ways our interlocking bangles represent the endless flow that is the ocean. While they appear confined, they actually roll together on and on, a beautiful symbol that encompasses the awe-inspiring waves of the sea.

This past week, I was so fortunate to travel back to Virginia Tech and spend time with my 13 (yes, 13!) closest college friends in honor of our 15-year graduation anniversary. Being back at VT after all these years was refreshing, exciting, nostalgic, and made me incredibly thankful for such wonderful lifelong friendships. 

Stacked rings have long been a CMD staple, and last year we expanded the shopping experience to allow clients to build customized stacks. What started as a one-time idea turned into one of our favorite additions in The Showroom—our Ring Bar. 

Ary wanted to grow with us, and we love having her as part of the team, so we’ve rented her a studio in Trumansburg (four hours upstate from NYC) where we plan to begin building a small team who will handle much of our east coast wholesale production. The space is the perfect size for us to grow and build….so exciting!!

This first post is all about the favorite pieces of Aryana, a talented creator and one of our OG team members. Born and raised in New York, Aryana has worked with CMD for the better part of four years (sans the year she moved back to the East Coast). She is an incredibly talented gal with a fantastic eye for design...

One of the beautiful things about rose gold is its effortless versatility. In the spirit of mixing metals (one of our very favorite things), we must mention how we love wearing rose gold alongside other finishes. Combined with matte silver, both metals play off one another for a whimsical, romantic vibe.

If you’re a frequent reader of our blog, you know that creating fine, handmade jewelry right here in San Francisco is the beating heart of CMD. We’re so proud (and grateful!) for it all: watching our designs come alive; a rockstar staff; an amazing neighborhood filled to the brim with other local creatives—the list goes on. 

Fresh off the heels of NY NOW, we are thrilled to introduce a brand new collection to the Colleen Mauer Designs family. Debuted at the east coast show last week, our rose gold pieces received a warm and enthusiastic welcome from trade show buyers and customers alike. 

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.

Colleen herself is at the helm of the CMD ship, but many talented hands help keep it humming. The staff at the showroom, in the studio and far beyond are a vital part of the brand, and they’re some of our biggest fans. Frequently on the blog we’ll feature our extraordinary staff and share what CMD jewels they love the most.