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Jewelry is in Caroline Ballou's blood. She's an artist who grew up in the heart of what once was America's jewelry capital, near Providence, Rhode Island.
A member of a family who owned one of Rhode Island's most important manufacturers of fine jewelry since 1886, Caroline seemed destined to follow into the family business.
But as a teenager, she set her sights on a career in the fine arts, studying painting and printmaking. However, the lure of jewelry was too strong. After earning a graduate degree in metalsmithing at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, Caroline returned to her family's jewelry business armed with her own ideas.
"I started off by just ramping up my family's basic jewelry with some of my design ideas," she says.
It was a match made in jewelry heaven: Caroline's fine arts viewpoint teamed her family's high quality standards and technical expertise in fine jewelry manufacturing. As design director for the family company, Caroline's career took on a new dimension when she began to design her own namesake line in 2004.
While a college art student, Caroline took three months off from her studies to travel to Africa with 10 other American students. It was an experience that not only changed her life, but played a key role in her development as an artist and jewelry designer.
"The culture in Africa was so rich; I loved it," says the designer. "It is one of those experiences that stuck with me for a long time. It still does."
One of her signature designs is the swirl motif -- a traditional symbol found in African artwork. Caroline incorporated the swirl into her original collection and she continues to use the traditional symbol.
Though exotic experiences certainly influence Caroline's designs, she finds inspiration in her everyday life, too. From architecture, to the leaf on a tree, to the night sky, anything and everything can be translated into jewelry through her artist's eye.
Caroline rarely leaves home without her sketchpad. It's not unusual to find her either thoughtfully gazing at the world around her or furiously sketching -- whether on a plane, at a park, or in her studio.
"I'll walk around and purposefully think about how what I see could be used in my designs. I'm constantly thinking about how to translate things into jewelry."
While Caroline and her designs have grown creatively through the years, she remains true to her love of organic shapes. Influenced by her paintings, Caroline adapts the flowing lines and sweeping details found in her drawings into three dimensional sculptural designs. "Even when working with geometric shapes, I'll add a curve. I try to not lose the soft feel of my original hand-drawn sketches as my designs are translated into actual jewelry." In addition to her emphasis on the organic, Caroline infuses her fine jewelry with a cross-cultural edge -- taking influences from around the globe and filtering them her own contemporary artistic vision.
Giorgio Armani for his classic elegance. Herve Leger. Love Missoni; especially the dresses. For more casual styles I like Nanette Lepore, Ella Moss or Michael Kors' quintessentially American sportswear.
And what woman doesn't love shoes? Like "Sex and the City" favorite Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, even Kenneth Cole.
I think the common element is that they have a casual lifestyle. They like tailored looks from J. Crew, Anne Klein, Donna Karan, even Banana Republic. The emphasis is on the wearer, not the outfit. The same with the jewelry, it complements their style in a subtle way.
1. Belts -- they can really dress up an outfit. 2. Scarves -- a great way to change one's looks. 3. Shoes from any of my favorite brands. 4. A cool coat. 5. A black long sleeve T-shirt.
Definitely something from the Scirocco collection, like a long pendant or chain link necklace that could be worn all the time, with anything. The cuff bracelet makes a real statement.
We're debating now where our whole family is going to celebrate my mother's 80th birthday: Hawaii or south of France?
Two women I emulate are my sister-in-law and my neighbor who's a stylist for film shoots. Neither one of them tries too hard, but they know how to combine tailored classics with feminine flourishes like ruffles.
The key I learned from them? Understand what are your strengths and flaws and find clothing that fits. Be honest about your body.
An all-black ceramic Rado watch my father gave me for my 35th birthday. I wear it like a piece of jewelry, and it always reminds me of my father.
Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis for their incredible creation of blue jeans, the ultimate in American style. Interestingly they were German immigrants who came up with the idea of putting rivets on the pockets to keep them from ripping. They look great on a grandmother and a 3 year old.
Most women are jewelistas but not because they are knowledgeable about gemstones or techniques. Ask any woman about her jewelry, and she can tell you who gave it to her, where she bought it and the story behind it.
Like Claude Monet a century ago, Caroline Ballou finds inspiration in the timeless silhouette of the water lily. Thus, the jewelry designer named this collection after Monet's home in France: Giverny. Alternating textures and organic shapes give Giverny jewels a look and feel that is as soft and elegant as Monet's watercolors.
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Inspired by the juxtaposition of silk's strength and softness, as well as the quiet richness of the Asian culture, Silk Road features flowing lines and soft finishes. Silk Road's sweet mix of designs are easy to pair with the latest fashions, and even easier to wear every day.
In the Scirroco collection, Caroline Ballou flawlessly interprets the strong winds of the Sahara. The swirling motif and the hammered textures of Scirroco create a collection of beautiful contemporary jewels, while subtly reflecting the movement and power of those desert winds.
On Caroline's journeys throughout Europe, as well as in her native historic New England, she developed a fondness for cobblestones. Weathered by the footsteps of time, no two are ever the same. These stone shapes inspired Caroline Ballou's Cobblestone collection.
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