Let’s talk rings for a few minutes. Custom, badass, jaw-dropping and unique bridal stunners to be exact. Throw in that they’re also ethical, sustainable, and charitable…oh yeah, it was love at first sight for Saint Mae and me too.
Saint Mae is the love child of designer Carli Gerard, who I’m convinced was touched by an angel in the fine jewelry design department. I honestly didn’t realize an engagement ring could be so cool, and actually, have a boho vibe until I saw some of her custom creations. Her rings break the mold of traditional bridal jewelry in so many ways. Yet they do it in a classy, artistic, even somewhat ethereal way.
Let’s just say, I’ve been married eleven years and might have finally found a person to design a wedding band for me (I’m picky with this stuff.) It’s going to be ohhh so sweet to see what she comes up with. Opals, Turquoise, black diamonds…we shall see.
Enough about me, let’s talk Carli and Saint Mae…
Aside from being just flat out gorgeous rings, All of the Saint Mae rings are made from conflict-free, lab-grown, vintage, or alternative stones and recycled precious metals. 5% of every purchase is donated to one of her 3 charitable partners, and these beauties are made to last and be handed down for generations to come.
Which is kind of where this all started with Carli.
Which also leads me to a little Q&A I did with her. Because I just wanted to know more about where this all came from. Ok, she’s also a really cool gal.
Here we go:
WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION TO START SAINT MAE. WHERE DID THIS RADNESS COME FROM?
So, it’s kind of two fold. From as far back as I can remember, my passion has always been jewelry. The first thing I would do when I would walk into my grandma’s house was run to her jewelry box and try on all of her treasures.
Fast forward 20 years, I was given those very same jewels after she passed away. Though I cherished the sentiment behind them, they just weren’t my personal style. So I thought, instead of these amazing pieces just sitting in my jewelry box why don’t I just take the stones of and redesign them into something that I could wear and adore everyday? I took some of the stones and created a few new pieces and just absolutely fell in love with the process.
I thought back to when I was on the hunt for an engagement ring myself a few years back when Stephen and I began talking about marriage. I just couldn’t find anything that felt uniquely me – all of my friends had the same exact engagement ring and I just knew I wanted something different, so we wound up designing something together. I started thinking – wow there’s gotta be a market for this, as I was that bride wanting something unique just a few years prior. So, I decided to combine all of my passions and voila – Saint Mae was born
IF YOU COULD CREATE THE “PERFECT” RING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
My biggest goal for every project is for a bride to be able to look down at her hand and say “wow, this is just so me”. I want it to be a way for me to bring my clients love story to life. I want to create pieces that my brides can be proud to show off and that you wouldn’t just be able to stumble into any run of the mill jewelry store and purchase the exact same ring. That to me is the perfect ring.
WHO WOULD IT BE FOR? ANY DREAM CLIENTS?
I wouldn’t say I have any dream clients per say but — Saint Mae is definitely for a certain type of bride. The Saint Mae Bride is inspired by travel, charitable at heart, and motivated by the unknown. She pushes the limits, sees things differently – a strong spirit, guided by the beat of her own drum. As feminine as she is edgy, she celebrates the things that make her uniquely her and prides herself in doing things differently. A woman that is ready to break away from the confines of the “norm” and is ready to write her own story and pave her own way.
IS THERE ANY ICONIC PIECE OF JEWELRY OR DESIGNER WHO INSPIRES YOU. OR ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR. BASICALLY, WHERE DO YOU COME UP WITH THESE BRILLIANT IDEAS?
My biggest inspiration is from vintage pieces. I love taking old design trends and bringing them into 2019 with a fresh take. I get a lot of ideas from pieces that were left to me – it’s like I have my grandmas looking down and guiding the process in a way which I absolutely love. I’m also super inspired by travel as well – taking in new sites and sounds definitely fuels creativity.
ANY TIPS FOR FIANCÉES OR ANYONE SHOPPING FOR ENGAGEMENT RINGS/WEDDING BANDS (GREAT TIME FOR LADIES TO DROP ANY HINTS)
My number one piece of advice is to stay true to yourself. Create YOUR dream ring. And if it doesn’t fit inside the tiny little box of ordinary. GOOD. Embrace it. Run with it. I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with dropping some hints. Tag your beau in photos, send ideas – most people love the input! We have a lot of clients that do their initial design consultation together so we can chat through all of the details and then their partner runs with it from there so there’s still that element of surprise.
AND JUST FOR FUN, DREAM HONEYMOON LOCATION?
Moorea for sure! We went a few years ago before we were even engaged and I couldn’t help but think the entire time – I wish we were here on our honeymoon location haha! It’s my number one recco when people ask.
See? Rad gal. Fun times. And yay Moorea.
So, if you’re on the hunt (or dropping any hints) for a piece of bridal jewelry or just a custom kick ass ring as beautifully unique as you are, I say show Saint Mae Mae some love.
And Carli, you’re hired. Looking forward to designing a band with ya. And just admiring all of your creations in the meantime.
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Now, going to sit and admire these beauties one for a bit…
