Blog

There's a certain look someone gets when they try on the right piece of jewelry and suddenly know it's theirs. I love watching it happen. The best jewelry isn't necessarily what you thought you'd choose, but the piece you reach for every morning and don't quite feel like yourself without. Here are a few ways to know [...]

This is a very special week, as my beloved grandma turns 100 years old on July 29! Does she look incredible or what!? I feel so grateful that my life has been surrounded by strong, inspiring women, and my grandma is a huge part of that unshakeable foundation. Gram has been a trailblazer since she was [...]

Hoop earrings are one of those jewelry staples we reach for all year, but there's something about them that feels especially right in summer. Hair goes up, necklines get lighter and hoops get a little more room to shine. From mixed metals to different sizes and shapes, here are a few of my favorite ways to wear [...]

CMD has always run on woman power, and we're all the stronger for it. This post began as a celebration of our bi-coastal team and Aryana's five-year anniversary, but the story didn't end there. From San Francisco to Upstate New York to Asbury Park, here's a look at the women, places and relationships that have [...]

Ring stacking has always been a signature part of CMD, and the Ring Bar makes building your own combination part of the fun. Play with different metals, finishes, widths and shapes until you find a stack that feels completely your own. Here’s how our idea of “interactive design” started and where you [...]

Every piece of CMD jewelry begins long before the torch comes out. My design process still starts with pencils, paper and a lot of sketching before an idea ever makes its way into metal. From those first broad strokes to the tiny decisions about proportion and wearability, here’s how a jewelry design moves from sketch [...]

Virginia Tech is one of those places that will always feel like home. I started there studying architecture before finding my way to industrial design, where I learned to think about form, proportion, materials and creating objects people actually use. I had no idea jewelry would eventually become my medium, but [...]

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. [...]

As I reflect on these 10 years of glory, pain, joy, tears, laughter, friendships and oh-so much more, I feel an enormous amount of gratitude and nostalgia. I'm overflowing with happiness and pride, and though I am just a speck in the universe of creators, I live for this passion. Truly, creativity keeps me sane. [...]

There have been plenty of milestones throughout the CMD journey that have made my heart swell, but seeing my jewelry inside the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art will always rank pretty high on that list. SFMOMA is one of those places I've loved for years, long before Colleen Mauer Designs became [...]

I remember my first experience seeing someone wear CMD jewelry in public. While at Rainbow Grocery in line to checkout, I looked up from my cart of deliciousness to see a woman in front of me wearing my hammered oval hoops. Unbeknownst to her I stood feet away, my heart swelled with pride. My greatest joy is [...]