KATE COLLINS
Wearing Meaning: The Story Behind Kate Collins Jewelry
Long before jewellery became something we bought for special occasions or wore to complete an outfit, it carried a deeper purpose. Across centuries and cultures, adornment has served as protection, identity, memory, and meaning. The ancient Egyptians wore amulets believed to guard the spirit. The Maasai of Kenya used intricate beadwork to communicate identity and belonging. In Western traditions, lockets and rings have preserved love, lineage, and personal history.
Jewellery has always told stories.
It is within this enduring tradition that Kate Collins Jewelry finds its voice, creating pieces that speak not only to beauty, but to intention, transformation, and the quiet power of personal symbolism.
Kate Collins’ journey into jewellery was not linear. A lifelong artist and native New Yorker, she originally pursued a path in medicine and public health, drawn to healing and human connection in a different form. Yet life, as it often does, redirected her. Major personal transitions including motherhood, divorce, and remarriage reshaped her perspective and rekindled a desire to create. Through these experiences, she returned to her artistic roots, discovering in jewellery a language for growth, resilience, and self expression.
Her earliest work emerged through collaborations with women artisans around the world, designing pieces that supported economic empowerment and creative opportunity. These early collections, first known as Plume Collection before becoming Kate Collins Jewelry in 2023, marked the beginning of a practice grounded not only in design, but in connection, community, and purpose.
Today, that philosophy continues to shape every piece.
Most of Kate’s collection is produced in New York City, reflecting the creative pulse of the place where she was born and raised. The energy of the city, its movement and diversity, informs her approach to design. Select gemstone pieces are hand carved in India, a continuation of her commitment to global craftsmanship and collaboration.
Her work is guided by a strong sense of responsibility. Using recycled gold and ethically sourced gemstones, often from female owned suppliers, she embraces sustainability and radical transparency. Production remains intentionally limited, allowing each piece to retain its individuality and emotional depth. Rather than following trends, Kate creates jewellery designed to endure, pieces that gather memories and become part of the wearer’s personal story.
Inspiration arrives quietly. It may be an unusual gemstone discovered by chance, the gentle curve of a leaf noticed on a walk, or a fleeting moment while cooking dinner. These observations evolve into symbols that feel both personal and universal. Collaboration is equally central to her practice. Kate finds joy in working closely with clients, translating their ideas, memories, and intentions into wearable forms that can be cherished for generations.
Her collections explore this relationship between symbolism and lived experience.
The Celestial collection draws inspiration from the cosmos, reflecting themes of clarity, intuition, and transformation. Moon and star pendants evoke renewal and self awareness, offering a sense of guidance during moments of change. Each piece captures the vastness of the universe while remaining deeply personal, a quiet reminder of one’s evolving path.
In the Abundance & Prosperity collection, symbolism turns toward growth and harmony. The bee, long associated with diligence, balance, and the rewards of collective effort, appears alongside the Hamsa hand, a universal symbol of protection and good fortune. Together, they express a belief that true abundance is cultivated with intention, patience, and care, serving as gentle reminders of the power of purposeful living.
The Protection and Strength collection speaks to resilience and inner power. The watchful Evil Eye, the fierce energy of the Scorpion, and the commanding presence of the Lion each carry histories of guardianship and courage. Designed as modern talismans, these pieces offer both protection and confidence, encouraging the wearer to move through the world with strength and clarity.
Across every design, Kate Collins Jewelry returns to a simple idea: that jewellery is most meaningful when it reflects the life of the person who wears it. Her pieces are not simply objects of adornment, but companions to experience, markers of transformation, and vessels for memory.
