Jewelry designer Carl Blackburn is among a select group of designers who elevated the popularity of platinum diamond jewelry after the turn of the new century. An internationally recognized spokesman for hand-craftsmanship and sustainable luxury, his revivalist jewelry is sold across the United States and worldwide. Born into a family of jewelers, Blackburn spent much of his ‘70s California childhood nosing around his father’s vintage jewelry store and listening to his father talk about the great jewelry of the past. The young Blackburn knew the industry well when he entered the profession in the late 1980s. By the time he founded his own artisans in 2003, he new fully how difficult the undertaking would be. But he also knew how rewarding it could be too. “There are few things more satisfying than talking to a customer whose gift of jewelry made their day magical,” says Blackburn.

The Beginning of the Brand

Starting with a small staff of jewelry craftsmen in a refurbished studio, Carl Blackburn Fine Jewelry grew quickly. Today, the company employs an expanding staff of over 200 craftsmen, technicians, media professionals, and customer service reps—exporting a collection of over 400 classic designs around the world. Blackburn’s first collections consisted of a full range of vintage-inspired engagement rings, eternity bands, earrings, pendants, and bracelets. Handcrafted in 18k gold or platinum, the jewelry was handset with diamonds and precious gems. Following the traditions set by such legendary jewelry houses as Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier, each piece displayed hallmarks of the finest designer jewelry, including deep hand-engraving, intricate wire-filigree, and hand-milgraining. Yet Blackburn made his designer collections more readily accessible to jewelry lovers by assigning an average retail price of US$1500. Markets today include the US, Canada, England, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, and Thailand.

The biggest market though for Carl Blackburn was, and remains, the United States. In that highly competitive atmosphere, with the help of his distributor Abacus Jewelers, Blackburn has expanded his reach to over 300 jewelers, spanning both coasts. National Media attention arrived in 2004 when the designer’s platinum rings were featured on the cover and inside the Better Homes and Gardens Weddings issue. Since then Carl Blackburn bridal jewelry has been a popular choice for young women with classic sensibilities. These handcrafted rings range from eternity bands that pay homage to the exquisite history of the English garden to micro-set diamond engagement rings.

Authorial Voice

Beginning in late 2004, Blackburn also became recognized for this thought-provoking essays published by various international publications. In his essay “In Defense of Luxury,” Blackburn finds wisdom in Dorothy Parker’s famous epigram “take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves,” and writes:

…to “take care of the luxuries” means to become a caretaker of time, a steward of quality over quantity. Such stewardship is open to all people, each within his or her means. Sure, only a select few can afford a Lamborghini, a Najad yacht, or a six carat Harry Winston pink diamond, but each and every one of us can take greater care in how we spend our money. We can consume a little more discriminately, a little more luxuriously, at the expense of consuming less. Just heed Parker’s advice and press on to your local couturier, master jeweler, or 3rd generation cobbler the next time you find yourself drifting toward one of those famous purveyors of mass-produced merchandise, those retail warehouses where “necessities” simply satisfy the bottom line, rather than assist the fine art of living life to the fullest.

Transition Period

In September of 2005, Carl Blackburn made the bold decision to sell his entire range of vintage-inspired designs in the US market to his North American distributor Abacus Jewelers, who re-branded the line as The Beverley K Collection. The popular collection is now distributed to more than 250 US jewelry stores under the Beverley K brand—while internationally the collection remains largely under Carl Blackburn brand management. This strategic move allowed the designer to keep his global brand intact, while facilitating an entrance into the high-street brand arena of American couture design and international haute-joaillerie.

Launch of the Neo Classics™ Couture Collection

After retreating to his studios for six months, Blackburn introduced his new high couture line, Carl Blackburn Neo Classics™ at the JA New York Summer Show 2006. Overflowing with regal and feminine touches the collection is said to have bridged the gap between time-honored jewelry design and the contemporary joie de vivre of the Modern woman. Crafted in various combinations of platinum and 18K white, yellow, and rose gold, each diamond-set piece displays the Old World hallmarks that have come to symbolize the Carl Blackburn brand. Blackburn’s signature hand-milgraining, hand-engraving, and fine filigree work have been taken to new heights, and are often harmonized by a Victorian-style open-work mesh.

With the Neo Classics™ debut, the purpose-driven designer, an avid outdoorsman, has reached but one more milestone in his life’s journey. Says Blackburn: “Our lives are a series of plateaus. With the release of the Neo Classics collection I’ve reached an important one in my own life, one where I’ve tried to honor the extraordinary women of today with a collection that is both playful and enchanting. After all, the jewelry a woman wears should be as magical as she is.”