If you speak a bit of French, you might know that crevette translates to shrimp—not a term often associated with jewelry.
Yet this playfully unexpected moniker—which also translates colloquially to “little one,” a term of endearment—aptly describes what Crevette Design Studio seeks to communicate through its jewelry.
The brand-new venture comes from cofounders Victoria Schulte and Charlotte Zappulla, two of the first employees of Marrow Fine Jewelry, which was established in 2017. “Being the first employees meant that we got hands-on experience with building a brand—we helped the owners grow it from a small business to a sought-after design house,” Schulte tells JCK. “That experience is something that most people don’t get to see, and we’re so grateful for our time there.”
Crevette Design Studio specializes in engagement rings and everyday fine jewelry with a twist. Its first collection, called FLOW, explores the use of loosely flowing lines and waves, just debuted this month.
“When developing the brand identity and our designs, we knew we wanted to speak to those who are tired of the beautiful-but-basic minimalist designs,” Schulte says. “We ourselves are outspoken, passionate, messy, creative people, and we want our jewelry to resonate with those who feel the same.”
What works so well with FLOW is how it resonates with what shoppers still clamor for: hefty pieces in rich gold, simple enough to keep on forever, but not so simple as to not stand out. There’s a lovely twist (quite literally, in some cases) to the jewels, where ripples of gold create covetable styles, and lines of diamonds, as the collection’s name suggests, appear to flow through them.
“Let’s be real: It’s scary to start a fine jewelry business in the midst of a recession,” Schulte admits. “That fear inspired us. The ups and downs, the self-doubt, the chaos, the fun—all of those elements can be found within the designs of FLOW, which features pieces that incorporate movement through waves and ridges.”
Along with the new collection, Crevette offers custom design services, which generally involves engagement rings. “We just recently had our very first proposal happen in Venice, Italy,” says Schulte, when asked to describe a memorable project. “We worked with the client and designed a 1.5 ct. oval diamond ring flanked by Montana sapphire baguettes and diamond rounds in 14k gold.
“The sentiment of them wanting to support us and now us being permanently a part of their love story is so special to us,” Schulte says. “In the midst of us getting all the boring business aspects set up, we were able to turn this design around quickly so that he could propose on their trip abroad.”
Each cofounder brings something vital to the table: Schulte says she provides the marketing and art direction perspective while Zappulla uses her years of jewelry production experience to make beautiful, wearable, structurally sound pieces. “It feels effortless in this sense, because we know how hard the other works and how committed they are to the overall direction of the brand,” Schulte says of their partnership.”
As for design preferences? We asked what they’d choose if they could work with only one metal and gemstone for the remainder of their careers. “For me, it would be yellow gold and funky-shaped sapphires—I love unexpected shapes in metal-heavy designs,” Schulte says. “For Charlotte—she’s classy. She’d work with 18k yellow gold and antique diamonds for the rest of her life if it was a possibility.”
Looking ahead to the holiday season, Schulte tells us that Crevette’s Ripple band and Shimmy hoops (both above) look to be the hot sellers, based on their current high demand. Plus, she promises a limited-edition holiday pendant to come—its details are still under wraps.
For the one who has it all, consider this cutie-pie charm (above) from Crevette. It’s the brand’s mascot of sorts—a shrimp, available in 14k yellow, white, or rose gold.
Top: Verge domed cigar band in 14k yellow gold with 0.48 ct. old European diamond and 0.07 ct. t.w. old cut diamonds, $3,750; Crevette Design Studio
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