Blog

I've never been very interested in the idea that certain jewelry is meant for certain people. A ring is a ring. A cuff is a cuff. If you put it on and it feels like you, that's really all I need to know. CMD has always been about individuality, self-expression and wearing whatever the hell you want. If you're not sure what you're [...]

At the time I wrote this, I was coming out of one of the hardest stretches of my life. I had lost my partner of ten years and my beloved Gram within two months, all while closing my San Francisco shop and moving across the country. Journaling, meditation and walking became three simple rituals I could return to when [...]

My bestie Lisa joined me for another virtual CMD happy hour filled with jewelry, French 75s and plenty of catching up. These little online gatherings became such a fun way to stay connected during a strange stretch of time. I'm looking back at one of my favorites and sharing our French 75 recipe, too. [...]

Oxidized sterling silver is one of my favorite ways to create contrast in mixed-metal jewelry, but that dark finish naturally changes as you wear it. If you want to bring some of that depth back, you can re-oxidize sterling silver at home with a few simple supplies. I'm walking you through the process we use [...]

My Gram, Agnes Higgins, was the matriarch of our enormous family and one of the people who taught me the most about showing up for others. After losing her at 103, I found myself thinking about North Stars, the people who continue to orient us even after they’re gone, and designed jewelry with her memory in mind. [...]

I love birthdays! Aries is associated with beginnings, courage, independence and the instinct to forge ahead, qualities I can definitely recognize in the way I've built CMD. I'm sharing why I think another trip around the sun deserves really good jewelry, and why you absolutely don't need to wait for someone [...]

New to CMD? Here's a little more about who we are. We're a small, women-owned jewelry business designing modern jewelry in Asbury Park, NJ and handmaking every piece with our team in Upstate New York. Everything we make starts with thoughtful design, skilled hands and a love of creating jewelry that [...]

After nearly 16 years of building CMD in San Francisco, I packed up the West Coast chapter and came home to New Jersey. What started as a light-filled studio on Bond Street has grown into the CMD home I couldn't quite imagine yet, complete with appointments, Open Hours, Pop-Ups and a creative community I [...]

2020 changed nearly everything about CMD. Our San Francisco shop closed, our team shrank, virtual appointments connected me with hundreds of people around the world, and I eventually made the decision to come home to New Jersey. It was also a year of enormous personal loss. Looking back now, I can [...]

How often should you actually clean your jewelry? For pieces you wear regularly, a little maintenance every month or so is usually plenty, but cleaning and polishing aren't quite the same thing. Here's how to know when your jewelry needs some attention, how to use a polishing cloth and the one finish you don't [...]

What do you get when you combine two best friends, a pile of jewelry and something warm to drink? One very CMD happy hour. Lisa and I took our virtual cocktail adventures into winter with this cozy hot chocolate recipe, which can be made with mezcal, whiskey or brandy, or kept completely booze-free. Most importantly, [...]

Not sure of your ring size? Our adjustable ring sizer makes it easy to get a better idea of your size from home. I’ll show you how snug it should feel, how to check the fit over your knuckle and what to consider if you’re sizing for a stack instead of a single ring. The sizer works like a tiny adjustable belt for your finger [...]

Nearly 20 years after arriving in San Francisco with a suitcase and a few hundred bucks, I made the incredibly difficult decision to close my Valencia Street shop and come home to New Jersey. What I didn't know then was how much that move would shape the next chapter of CMD. Six years later, I'm looking back at [...]

Robin has an incredible eye for mixing CMD with the jewelry that already means the most to her. A two-time breast cancer survivor, she wears a meaningful survivor key alongside geometric rings, mixed metals and the pieces she's collected over the years. Her style is a perfect reminder that the best jewelry doesn't [...]

I love being a designer, but I especially love creating jewelry to mark something meaningful. Engagements and weddings might be the obvious Special Occasions, but I've made pieces for anniversaries, milestone birthdays, new chapters, big accomplishments and plenty of reasons that don't fit neatly [...]