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Handcrafted Heirlooms Inspired by Art, Travel, and You
When Sarah first stepped into Christine K’s Los Angeles studio clutching her grandmother’s tarnished locket, she thought it was just a repair. What she left with was a transformed heirloom—a pendant that honored the past while reflecting her modern style. “Christine listened to stories about my grandmother, then wove them into the design,” Sarah says. “It’s like she captured a feeling in metal.”
This is the essence of Christine K Jewelry: pieces that blend your narrative with the artistry of the world’s great museums, the textures of distant cities, and the quiet drama of nature.
From Architecture to Global Artisan
Christine Kim’s journey began in the drafting studios of USC’s architecture program, where she learned to balance strength and delicacy in form. But it was her travels—wandering the hushed galleries of The Met, sketching the ironwork of Parisian balconies, or studying the brushstrokes of a Ming vase at the Norton Simon—that taught her how to wear art.
“In Europe, I’d spend hours tracing the curves of Romanesque arches, then return to my hotel and twist wire until it mirrored that flow,” Christine recalls. A fellowship at The Huntington introduced her to the interplay of light and shadow in gemstones; a rainy afternoon at the Frick Collection (where she was once a member) inspired her signature “gilded edge” detailing.
By 2015, she’d traded blueprints for wax carvers’ tools, transforming a Silver Lake garage into a studio where architectural precision meets the soul of a wandering artist.
The Process: Your Story, Forged with Worldly Craft
Every piece begins with a conversation—often over tea, surrounded by Christine’s sketches from LACMA’s sculpture gardens or the Frieze Art Fair’s avant-garde installations.
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The Story: “A client once described the cherry blossom tree outside her Tokyo childhood home. That became a ring with petals so thin, they tremble like real flowers.”
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The Materials: Conflict-free diamonds, recycled gold, and rare stones handpicked at global gem shows (“I choose each one like it’s for my own museum,” she says).
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The Craft: Wax carved by artisans trained in European ateliers, stones set under magnification, and a lifetime guarantee—because heirlooms shouldn’t expire.
Master jeweler Carlos, her collaborator since 2017, puts it simply: “We don’t just make jewelry. We turn memories into monuments.”
Collections: Wearable Wanderlust
The Celestial Collection
Inspired by midnight skies over Joshua Tree and the star-charted ceilings of the Getty Center.
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Piece to Love: The “Luna” earrings—baroque pearls cradled in diamond crescents, like moons lifted from a Van Gogh.
Heritage Revival
For those who bring family treasures to reinvent. Influenced by the Frick’s portrait jewels and The Broad’s bold reinventions.
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Piece to Love: A Victorian brooch reimagined as a delicate hairpin—“It’s like seeing history through a contemporary lens,” says client Michaela.
LA Luxe
Architectural, bold, and unapologetically glamorous—think the angular shadows of the Walt Disney Concert Hall meets the gloss of Art Basel.
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Piece to Love: The “Arc” cocktail ring, its black diamond sliced to catch light like a Richard Serra sculpture.
Why Clients Return
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Direct access to Christine—no layers between you and the artist.
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Ethical sourcing: Stones traceable to their origins; shipping carbon-neutral.
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Evolving heirlooms: Annual inspections and redesign services ensure pieces grow with you.
“My engagement ring has become our family’s most requested artifact,” says client Michaela. “It’s not just jewelry—it’s a legacy.”
Begin Your Heirloom
Christine is currently accepting a limited number of custom commissions. https://christinekjewelry.com/pages/contact to start the journey—or visit her Los Angeles studio, where sketches from the Norton Simon and Art Basel line the walls, waiting to spark your design.
