How an Idea Becomes a Finished Design

For me, one of the most important parts of design is iteration, iteration, iteration. Ideas for new pieces tend to show up when I least expect them: walking on the beach, taking a shower, driving or doing just about anything other than sitting at my desk with a sketchbook conveniently in front of me.

I've learned to grab those ideas however I can. Sometimes they make it into a sketchbook. Other times they're scribbled onto a sticky note, the back of an envelope or whatever piece of paper happens to be nearby. The first sketch doesn't need to be beautiful. It just needs to hold onto the idea long enough for us to figure out where it wants to go.

From Sketchbook to Jewelry Bench

Once an idea makes it onto paper, that's really only the beginning. I regularly sit down with Sam and Ary to go through sketches, dimensions, proportions, metals and all the little details that turn an idea into something we can actually make.

My production crew has the incredible ability to look at one of my sketches, listen to me explain what I'm imagining and start translating it into metal. That's where an idea that has only existed in my head begins becoming a real object you can hold in your hand.

Then We Make It. And Usually Make It Again.

The first version is almost never the last. Something that looks perfect on paper can feel completely different once it's in metal and on the body. A ring might need to be a little wider. An opening might need to shift. Two shapes might need more breathing room between them. Sometimes a tiny adjustment changes everything.

So we make it, look at it, wear it, talk about it and make another version. There can be several rounds of samples before we land on the proportions and details that feel right. Some changes are immediately obvious. Others are so small you might never notice them unless you saw two versions sitting next to each other, but we notice them. That's enough reason to keep going.

Designing Something You'll Actually Want to Wear

Looking good is only part of the equation. I also want to know how a piece feels on the body, how it moves, how it stacks with other CMD jewelry and whether it makes sense for an actual human being going about their day.

That's one of the reasons our design process can't really be rushed. We're not simply trying to turn a drawing into an object. We're trying to turn it into a piece of jewelry that feels effortless once you put it on, even when quite a bit of work went into making it feel that way.

The Ideas That Don't Become Finished Designs

Not every sample makes it into the collection, and I actually love that part of the process too. Over the years we've accumulated prototypes, experiments and one-of-a-kind iterations that document all the different directions an idea took before we arrived at the final design.

They're reminders that designing jewelry isn't a straight line from inspiration to finished piece. There are wrong turns, happy accidents, tiny breakthroughs and plenty of versions that teach us exactly what we needed to know before moving on.

More than two decades into designing jewelry, that process is still one of my favorite parts of this work. There's something incredibly satisfying about watching a rough little drawing become a piece of metal, then working on it until suddenly Sam and I look at each other and know: that's it.

Then, of course, we get to make it for you.

From my sketchbook to your hands,
Colleen

© Colleen Mauer Designs. All rights reserved.
Published: March 20, 2023
Updated: August 21, 2026