New York City–based Karma el Khalil of Karma el Khalil Jewelry, a psychologist–turned–jewelry designer, uses a pyramid motif as her signature style.
Karma el Khalil
Headquarters: New York City
Year firm launched: 2007
Signature style: “The pyramid motif. I love expressing sharp edges; they have a flow and elegance to them. But I will also put details into pieces that only the wearer knows exist, such as diamonds on the back sides.”
Training, education, and design process: “After I got my B.A. in psychology from the Tufts University in Boston, I was planning on getting my master’s in London, until a fluke error on the part of the school admission’s department delayed my entry into the program. So I spent a summer drawing jewelry for fun, then showing the sketches to a friend of my family in Beirut, who owned a jewelry store. He said he could sell them in his store if I manufactured the pieces, so my parents invested $10,000 to have 15 pieces made. Our friend threw a party at this store, and we sold out of the jewelry. But clients kept coming in and asking for more, so I took part in a jewelry trade show in Lebanon, and then started dreaming of moving to New York to study jewelry design. I did, getting my G.G. from the GIA, and taking design classes in the city. Then I took part in a charity event sale in Los Angeles, and after two days of sales in a hotel, I sold 80 percent of the work I brought. Buyers from Fred Segal and Roseark saw my work. I now sell in Roseark, and I recently met with Bergdorf Goodman in New York.”
Materials of choice: “18k gold and diamonds.”
Starting retail price: $500
Accounts: “Roseark in Los Angeles right now.”
Retailer buy-in: “None right now.”
Jewelry trade show exhibits: Couture 2013
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