We were lucky to catch up with Isabel (Rooney) Calvert recently and have shared our conversation below.

Isabel, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

For over a decade, I worked at the intersection of fashion and business—first as a corporate buyer overseeing a $300 million portfolio, then as head of merchandising and product development for a luxury fashion house. I lived and breathed design, product, and performance. But something kept nagging at me: when it came to jewelry, there was a noticeable gap between the editorial and the everyday. The market was either saturated with ultra-trendy pieces made for Instagram, or classic styles that lacked imagination. There was little that felt bold, refined, and wearable—jewelry that made a statement but was grounded in longevity.

SETTE was born out of that frustration. I wanted to create jewelry that felt like a fashion editorial—sculptural, unexpected, confident—but crafted to be lived in. I believed women deserved pieces that made them feel like their most powerful selves, without compromising on ethics or quality. I chose lab-grown diamonds not as a gimmick, but as a standard—equal in beauty and better for the planet. And I didn’t want to follow the traditional path of micropavé and dainty trends. I design for every finger, favoring bold shapes and fancy cuts that are rarely seen in pinky rings or everyday pieces.

The idea felt too obvious not to pursue—why should we have to choose between expressive design and responsible craftsmanship? I knew from my years in fashion that if I was craving this type of jewelry, others were too. SETTE became my way of finally designing without compromise—where commercial instinct meets creative risk, and where every piece is made with intention. That’s what excites me most: creating something that’s both personal and powerful, and that fills a gap no one else was paying attention to.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My journey into the jewelry world began right after college in 2014, when I joined Signet Jewelers, the largest jewelry retailer in the U.S., as an assistant planner. It was there that I began to understand the mechanics of what drives consumer desire—how trends, storytelling, and design come together to create pieces people truly connect with. Over the years, I climbed the ranks to senior merchant, learning the intricacies of merchandising, product development, and the fine jewelry market inside and out.

Eventually, I transitioned into the luxury space as Head of Merchandising and Product Development at Jean Dousset, a high-end diamond brand. That role expanded my view of what it means to build a jewelry brand from the ground up. I wasn’t just curating collections—I was heavily involved in operations, including website building, marketing, and understanding how to position high-end products for an elite clientele. This experience gave me a 360-degree perspective on what it takes to successfully run a fine jewelry brand.

By the time I launched SETTE Jewelry, I had spent nearly a decade immersed in every facet of the industry—and I saw a gap no one was addressing. I noticed that much of the market leaned either ultra-minimal or hyper-trendy. I wanted to create something different: jewelry that felt editorial yet wearable, ethically made, and deeply expressive.

At SETTE, we use lab-grown diamonds not just as a sustainable alternative, but as a design-forward choice. I design for every finger, not just the traditional ones. I favor sculptural shapes, fancy cuts, and pieces that make you feel something. One of our signature pieces—the Coquette Pinky Ring—went viral for that very reason: it broke the mold of what fine jewelry is “supposed” to be, and women resonated with that.

What sets SETTE apart is that we don’t design for occasions—we design for individuality. Our ethos is simple but powerful: diamonds are for every day, and every woman deserves to feel like her boldest self.

In 2024, I was honored to be named Texas Jewelry Designer of the Year, a moment that validated not just the brand’s growth, but the deeper mission behind it. I’m incredibly proud to be building something that doesn’t follow trends—it redefines them. And I hope that when people wear SETTE, they feel that same sense of freedom and confidence.

More than anything, I want potential clients and followers to know that this brand is built with intention, precision, and a refusal to compromise. SETTE isn’t just jewelry—it’s a statement about how you show up in the world.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Just a few months after launching SETTE, I learned I was unexpectedly pregnant. It was a moment of both excitement and fear—our team had invested so much into building the brand, and I was only beginning to see real momentum. I questioned how I could keep up, but I pushed forward. Throughout my pregnancy, I continued to run the business entirely on my own. On the day I gave birth, my laptop was beside me as I managed customer orders in between contractions. Without a team to delegate to, I simply kept going. That chapter in my journey taught me that resilience isn’t about when things are easy—it’s about showing up fully, even when you’re scared, uncertain, and under pressure.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I first launched SETTE, my vision centered on engagement rings—unique designs with unexpected stones and heirloom potential. But as the business evolved, I noticed a clear trend: customers weren’t coming to us to mark engagements; they were buying jewelry for themselves. What truly resonated were bold, fashion-forward designs crafted with lab-grown diamonds—pieces that felt modern, expressive, and self-celebratory. Recognizing this, I made a decisive pivot, moving away from the traditional engagement market and embracing the philosophy that every finger is a ring finger, and diamonds don’t have to wait for a proposal. That shift not only aligned the brand with our audience’s values but also transformed the trajectory of SETTE entirely.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://settejewelry.com
• Instagram: @settejewelry
• Other: Tiktok: @sette_jewelry