I have fallen in love with Catbird and smitten with it since 2011. I remember my first purchase was a cool looking calendar that was large and long, something that was unique and I had not seen before. I kept it up even after the calendar no longer held the correct dates of the months, but still.
Now you are probably wondering who is Catbird? What do they do? And I am here to tell you all the good details possible. So grab a cup of coffee or a drink of your choice, settle in and let me begin.
History
In 2004, a young woman by the name of Rony Vardi opened up a small little shop in Williamsburg. It was a run down little thing, but nonetheless, with her savings, she envisioned a thriving shop. At first they sold some clothes, elbow patches, iron-ons, and pretty ribbons. How delectable, right?
Then she carried jewelry that she designed herself or carried from other independent jewelers. Many of these jewelers are carried at Catbird to this day. Some of them include: Bittersweets, Yayoi Forest, and Digby & Iona.
She met her buyer Leigh Plessner in 2004 at a tradeshow selling stationery cards to Rony before working for Catbird. They worked with a few designers to make small jewelry collections such as their infamous classic hammered rings and alphabet series. In 2006, Rony opened up The Bedford Ave store, where they solely focused on jewelry and started the Catbird line. It only grew from there, from a small space in someone’s home to an apartment above their little shop, until now where they have a large office with a bundle of employees. Over a 100 employees.
On top of working with great designers to showcase their jewelry, Catbird’s commitment to making their own line has grown. They have a mission to: “make beautiful, sparkling jewelry that will bring you joy now through forever. We believe that even very special jewelry can be worn everyday.” They really stick to that motto. I own a few pieces from Catbird and I can say for a fact each piece is sparkly and elegant, but makes you want to wear it everyday.
Recently Catbird became a proud member of CFDA, and became certified in Made in New York™. I also love that they are certified members of No Dirty Gold.
I love their mission and the fact that their Brooklyn studio is ethically sourced. They ethically source all their gold and their stones are conflict-free. To me that is just a double win in my opinion.
Catbird Office Space
Women ran business where people can express themselves is Catbird motto. The team works together to create the pretty gold treats that we adorn our skins with. They work in a beautiful light filled and clean environment. The teams are offered benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans to professional development classes. Obviously there are other perks like coffee chats and more.
Gold and Stones Ethical Sustainability
Catbird sources all their gold chains, wires, findings and castings from vendors committed to minimizing the environmental impact of their work. These vendors collect an array of mixed recycled metals. They use New York City caster, a leader in using clean electric equipment.
All diamonds are also sourced ethically from recycled or lab created diamond lines. Other gemstones that are sourced, have to pass stringent requirements before they are used in their collections. Pearls are sourced from a third generation farm in Hubei Province in China that engaged in clean water practices. Other stones are sourced from mines that adhere to environmental and human right standards that excel the norm.
My Favorite Pieces
My favorite pieces from them have to be:
The fighting girl pendant (no longer sold): This was part of their first collaboration with Leith Clark, and it is a young girl with a fist stamped into a gold medallion pendant. It is a beautiful piece that gives me strength and courage when I wear it.
The Hundred Summers ring: This is an uber delicate chain ring with a dainty thin wrap around the finger. I wear this piece as a pinky ring and enjoy the subtle nature of it.
Bodega Bouquet Lip Balm: This is seriously the best lip balm ever. It smells like flowers, tastes a little like flowers and keeps the lips nourished.
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