About Katie Dean

Hi, I’m Katie

I’m a midwest girl with a love for style. I create handmade, dainty jewels to inspire women to try something new, embrace their femininity, and feel beautiful while still feeling like themselves.

The jewels at Katie Dean Jewelry are fun, modern and effortlessly beautiful. But looking good is just one part of the equation.

We’re in the Business of Creating Beautiful Lives, Not Just Beautiful Jewels

At Katie Dean Jewelry we go beyond just making jewelry. We want to inspire you to live and create a beautiful life. That’s why I personally spend time planning and art directing our photo shoots, planning out our Instagram and writing blog posts that mix style and life.

I know how big of a change one piece of jewelry or one inspiring style post can make. It can completely change your outlook on your day and put that pep back in your step. We want you to leave our website or our social media feeling rejuvenated and excited. 

My Journey Behind the Jewels

A lot of people are curious how I began my career in jewelry and how I created my line. I can tell you, it didn’t happen overnight but the journey was worth it.

Born and raised in Michigan, I made the big move to Los Angeles in 2007 to see what the west coast could offer my young artist self and began working a number of jobs, but none of them were “the one”.

I was always drawn to jewelry and in my last job as an assistant stylist, I often came home with the feeling like something was missing. The artist inside me was looking for something more. To try and fill that void, I started disassembling jewelry that I owned so I could create something new.

It was SO exhilarating and therapeutic. The best part was that I would immediately see my creation. I loved that. After a few weeks of making my own pieces, I was at one of my favorite coffee places wearing a piece I’d recently made (or re-made!), a lady came up to me and asked: “Where did you get that?” – pointing to my bracelet.

When I told her I made it, she asked me: “How much do you sell them for?”

That was the start of many more people approaching me, asking “Where’d you get that…?”

So when I started selling the pieces I was wearing, quite literally on the spot, I started to realize that there was a demand for what I was creating. I could rarely keep and wear a piece for more than a week before someone purchased it. Within a few months I decided it was time for me to create my first collection and officially put together a shoot so that I could take the next step and start selling online.

I was happiest when making jewelry and I loved the feeling of finding someone the perfect piece! Seeing a customers face light up is priceless.

Handmade Inspiration & Creation

In 2015, I took the plunge, quit my day job, and went full force into Katie Dean Jewelry. I’m proud to say it was the right choice. It’s been a lot of hard work, persistence and hustle but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Nothing makes me happier than making gorgeous, dainty jewelry for you to shamelessly take a selfie in (even if that's a nail-selfie)!

My passion for creating timeless dainty jewelry is as alive as ever. I still love creating every new piece that comes into the line. We’re now launching a new piece nearly every other month.

My inspiration comes from many things. Traveling, architecture, people, cities, shapes, and so much more. I’m inspired by how those things make me feel. I love looking at art from the past with a special eye on the shapes that are used and how I could make it into a new piece.

I still hand assemble every piece with some additional help from specialists in the field of stone setting, mold making and gold plating. It is SO rewarding and special knowing that my hands touch every single jewel that goes to my customers.

Quality is also something I am adamant about and stand behind. We offer a 1 year free repair policy which you can read more about here and I wrote a blog explaining what our pieces are made of which you can read here. In addition to creating affordable dainty gold jewelry I am passionate about continuing to create jobs within the United States to help our local economy. When you’re buying from us, you’re supporting a Made in America company. 

I'm happy and proud to share that our customers feel the love that we put into every piece when receiving and wearing their dainty pieces. We set up a dedicated page so you can read through our glowing reviews and see for yourself what people are saying. ✨ 

Dainty, Delicate Jewels

The reason I create dainty, delicate jewels is because it’s feminine, classic and timeless. You can dress up our jewels with red carpet looks, wear them day-to-day at work, to a cafe with friends or on a date night. I believe fashion should be affordable but also that artists and entrepreneurs should be justly paid for their work. We strive to keep our prices at an affordable price while continuing to provide jobs for our community in California.    

I would love to stay in touch with you whether that's through our email newsletter or our social media. We strive to inspire you to create a beautiful life with our jewelry and in many other ways.

Instagram is where we post almost daily @katiedeanjewelry

But we're also on Pinterest which you can check out here. It’s not a “social media employee” that runs our Instagram and social channels; it’s me! I do have help planning out posts and answering DMs occasionally but I really value and love the close connection that is created through our Instagram so it's something I'll continue to be in charge of for a while, if not forever. I try to share behind-the-scenes as much as I can and I'm always creating new aesthetically pleasing image to brighten up your feed.

I also use our Instagram to showcase upcoming releases and highlight special sales and promotions that we're doing. It's all meant to make you smile and hopefully inspire you.

Feel free to comment, tell me what you love, ask questions or give feedback on what you want to hear or see more of from us. I'm all ears!

Find us in the Press 

Our jewels have been adored by the likes of People Mag, Star, Cosmopolitan, E!, Refinery29 and many more.

We’ve been fortunate to have our team’s hard work acknowledged by some of the biggest magazine & influencers in the industry. We believe that’s because every piece is touched by human hands, and isn’t about how it makes you look. Our jewels shine brighter because of how they make you feel.

Paying it forward

I've had the pleasure of being interviewed on some amazing podcasts where I share stories about how I started Katie Dean Jewelry, the mistakes I made and how I've learned from them plus lots of helpful tips for anyone thinking of starting their own business. I'm passionate about helping other entrepreneurs and small businesses, my main motto being, "community over competition". 

Here's a list of podcast interviews I've done that you can tune into: 

• Girl Gang Craft The Podcast, Episode 5 "Katie Dean + The Art of Selling"
• Commerce Tea Podcast, Episode 3 "Power up your online sale with Instagram (An interview with Katie Dean)"
• LadyGang Podcast, Episode 75 "Katie Dean"
• Salt & Pepper Podcast, Episode 41 "Katie Dean: Katie Dean Jewelry, Community Over Competition, Taking Every Opportunity and Never Being Scared of a Challenge"
• Behind Your Dream Job Podcast, Episode 3 "Jewelry Designer - Katie Dean"

Before I end off, it's worth noting that I'm no longer based in Los Angeles! I made the move to Oakland with my husband right before we got married in 2018. We're loving life in the Bay Area. It's been wonderful getting involved with local events and meeting other business owners and artists here. 

I hope you enjoyed getting to know me and what Katie Dean Jewelry is all about.

Thanks for reading and for all your support. 💛

XOXO, KATIE