Blog

When the CMD shop was on Valencia Street, I was surrounded by an almost ridiculous amount of good food. I originally wrote this list in April 2020 as a way to support local restaurants during lockdown. Reading it again years later feels more like a personal food map of San Francisco and a love letter to the neighborhood [...]

In April 2020, I sat down with Julie Fogh of Vital Voice Training to talk about how CMD was adapting to a very strange new reality and what I was doing to take care of myself along the way. More than six years later, my strategy still sounds pretty familiar: restful sleep, plenty of water, meditation and a strong cup [...]

Putting something you’ve created out into the world is brave, and more than two decades into this business, I still feel a little vulnerable every time I do it. I’ve learned that some criticism can make your work better, while some simply isn’t yours to carry. Here’s what being a designer has taught me about feedback, confidence [...]

Why do some pieces of jewelry become the ones you reach for every single day? For me, that question goes all the way back to the first silver hoops I ever sold. More than two decades later, I’m still designing jewelry with the same goal: pieces that feel distinctive, effortless and completely at home in your [...]

Oxidized silver won't stay black forever. Friction, water, oils and everyday wear can gradually reveal the brighter silver underneath, especially on rings and bracelets. The good news? Fading is completely normal, and there are ways to care for your jewelry, preserve the finish and even bring the black [...]

There’s something different about jewelry that has passed through a maker’s hands. At CMD, our pieces are cut, soldered, shaped, finished and inspected by real people who care deeply about what leaves the studio. It takes more time to make jewelry this way, but after more than two decades, I still believe [...]

I originally wrote this in 2019, wondering what retail would look like five or ten years down the road. Seven years later, a LOT has changed for small businesses and for CMD. What hasn't changed is my belief that where we choose to spend our money matters. Looking back at what I thought then, and what [...]

Before CMD, there was a one-way move to California, a job that didn't quite fit and six months traveling the world with everything I needed in a backpack. I didn't know then that the experience would give me some of the courage I needed to start my own jewelry business at 26. More than two decades later, I can see how [...]

Solid gold costs more than gold-fill, so when is it actually worth the investment? For me, the answer is about more than having something precious. Solid gold can be worn for decades, repaired, passed down and even transformed into something completely new. Here’s why I think it can be worth choosing for [...]

I’m all about quality, durability, and style. When I began designing, my goal was to create classic, elegant jewelry that would be long-lasting and affordable. But what exactly is the difference between gold-filled, gold-plated and gold vermeil jewelry? And why do I choose to use gold-fill in my designs? [...]

I often get asked what my favorite part of being a jewelry designer is. For me, it's still the creative process, the part where I sit down, put pen to paper and sketch and sketch and sketch. Creativity doesn't always show up on command, but after all these years, I've learned a few things about giving the good ideas [...]

Can you mix round and square rings in the same stack? Absolutely. Some of my favorite stacks combine different shapes, widths, metals and finishes, and there really isn't a one-shape-fits-all formula. Here are a few of my favorite ways to mix things up and create a ring stack that feels completely your own. [...]

"Can I mix these together?" is one of the questions I've heard most often at the CMD Ring Bar, and the answer is almost always yes. A great ring stack doesn't need to follow a perfect formula. From mixing metals and widths to playing with contrast and asymmetry, here are three easy ways to create a stack that feels [...]

My mom is one of the strongest women I know. She raised three kids on her own, built an incredible career in education and always encouraged me to follow my heart. Looking back, I know her example gave me some of the courage I needed to follow my own path and estart my jewelry business. This is my ode to her. [...]

Back in 2018, one of our production gals was spending nearly an hour and a half commuting every day to make jewelry with us. We knew there had to be a better way. A little brainstorming later, Sam had her own home jewelry studio in Cortland, New York, and CMD Outpost #3 was born. Looking back, it became one [...]