Melissa Kaye’s Colorful Take On Fine Jewelry

From sculptural diamond studded yellow gold, neon-colored enamel pieces reminiscent of the MOD sixties and pop art to more toned-down pastel enamel and diamond pieces, Melissa Kaye continues to grow her collection and expand on her aesthetic. Her newest creations focus on juicy candy-colored gemstones with vibrant enamel in bold rings and interchangeable clasps in different cuts for necklaces. Her main ingredients for success include sticking to what she does best yet integrating certain trend-worthy and cultural aspects into her collections. She experiments with a wide range of colors, larger gemstones, and asymmetry, building on her most popular pieces. She has thoughtfully crafted her collections so that her customers can continue to add to their Melissa Kaye pieces, mixing, matching and layering her designs into their daily rotations.

Here Kaye talks about her how she became a jewelry designer, her growth, aesthetic and how she sees her jewelry being worn:

When did you start creating jewelry?

MK: “I’ve been creating jewelry since I was a child. I had a small bench set up in my room, and I would often be found working on new projects. All these years later, my mother still has a handful of the designs from my youth.”

Did that lead you directly into studying or a career in jewelry?

MK: “No. I took a different route at first. I studied computer science and engineering at MIT and got my master’s in computational finance from Carnegie Mellon University. I started my career in finance and having worked for a decade as a quantitative strategist at Goldman Sachs; I was ready to explore new challenges. After a lot of soul searching, I decided to make a dramatic shift. As daunting as it was, I took the plunge and pursued my life-long passion for jewelry design, enrolling in FIT’s two-year jewelry design program. I started my brand shortly after that.”

Do you work at the bench, or do you use CAD? How do your designs come to life?

MK: “I studied both design and bench work at FIT but am no longer doing any bench work myself and now have a talented team of jewelers who craft each piece by hand. My designs typically evolve from concept to sketch or CAD sketches (I still do some CAD work) and are refined and iterated on until we have a final model. I oversee every stage of the production process.”

What year did you officially launch the collection?

MK: “Officially, in 2013. But it took about a year until I had a collection with enough pieces to complement one other and tell a cohesive story to present the collection to retailers.”

What was your first design in the collection?

MK: “Our Cristina earring is one of our earliest designs and is still a best-seller today. It’s an alternative hoop, which comes in four sizes and different finishes like full diamond, partial diamond, enamel and diamonds combined with colored stones. It’s a flattering silhouette, and we have many clients collecting and layering them up the ear.”

What are your inspirations?

MK: “As a born-and-bred New Yorker, the city is a never-ending source of inspiration. I find architecture particularly interesting, and often draw from different shapes or design elements I encounter throughout the city in my work.”

Can you describe your aesthetic?

MK: “The collection is modern, sometimes edgy, and always versatile, wearable and luxurious. We aim to push the boundaries of what is available in the market by experimenting with material, color and form. At its core, the collection comprises strong silhouettes to which we apply various finishes allowing a given piece to take on different personalities. Finishes include different shades of gold, gold with diamonds, neon-colored enamel, colored gemstones, etc. The approach is strategic and we continue to expand the collection methodically – most recently introducing big, juicy colored gemstones paired with diamonds and enamel.”

What is your favorite piece in the collection and why?

MK: “It’s hard to select a favorite, but I’m currently excited about our new one-of-a-kind Lenox pieces. They differ from anything we’ve done before but stay true to the Melissa Kaye aesthetic. This is our first time working with larger-sized diamonds and colored stones. They are bolder and more statement-making yet still work effortlessly with the rest of the collection.”

Additionally, introducing large stones into our repertoire has been a gateway to creating more bespoke designs for clients. I’m enjoying collaborating with our collectors, incorporating heirloom gems, and sourcing special stones for them.”

Who is your customer?

MK: “People who appreciate luxury and want jewelry that can be worn and enjoyed in day-to-day life. Our clients appreciate our contemporary approach and aren’t afraid to experiment with new styles, color palettes, or mediums.”

How do you wear and style your jewelry? Is this the same as you suggest for your customers?

MK: “Each piece stands on its own but is also intended to be layered. For example, I have a few piercings and often mix and match different earring styles to create an asymmetric look. I think the jewelry looks great when a variety of our styles, sizes and finishes are layered together for a look that simultaneously reads luxe but effortless. There really are no rules, so we encourage our customers to have fun with our pieces.”

Is there a piece you never take off (except in water because of the enamel?)

MK: “I tend to switch up my jewelry frequently. That is the fun for me – adding different pieces into the rotation and experimenting with different ideas of how to wear each piece.”

Can you talk about the enamel process you use?

MK: “ I had always been interested in incorporating enamel into the collection as it offers a different textural element in a wide range of colors. There are different types of enamel. We use cold enamel in our collection.”

Talk about branding, promotion and getting the word out—what is most important?

MK: “Consistent branding and imagery are particularly important in our digital age where your work is broadcast across many channels.”

“How has the collection evolved?

MK: “We consistently evaluate what resonates with our customers and apply that feedback when evolving the collection. For example, when we incorporated neon enamel in 2019, we had great success with it and expanded our offering to include pastels and custom colors for a handful of our retail partners. We have also continued to expand our core diamond and gold collection, introducing new silhouettes at a broad range of price points. I think it’s important to expand on the pieces and concepts that work best for you, adding dynamic and fresh new twists but never straying from our original and distinctive design sensibility.”