We recently connected with Kristine Cabanban and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kristine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How do you feel about asking friends and family to support your business? What’s appropriate, what’s not? Where do you draw the line?

From the very beginning, family and friends have been the original supporters of my business. They were some of my very first customers. They have helped and continue to help spread the word about my jewelry. Luckily, they have done all this without much coaxing from me, doing it out of their own accord! I also make sure to give a family and friends discount. Some friends have even told me that they don’t need it, but I honor it anyway because it’s my way of thanking them for their continued support, helping me both personally as a friend or family, and helping my career as well.

Kristine, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am Kristine Cabanban, a jewelry designer maker based in New York City. My business (simply named Kristine Cabanban Jewelry) has been around since 2016. I have a few core collections I always restock, but have one-of-a-kind pieces as well. They are made of silver and gold and some incorporate gemstones. Bespoke jewelry is also a service that I offer.

I’ve always loved making jewelry. As a kid, I would string beads together to make different things for my family, experimenting with color and styles. However, I didn’t know this could be a career path, and I also had an interest in media. I studied Communications in college and worked for an audio post production house for 8 years. Then I found jewelry classes and schools in the city, and started taking some on nights and weekends. After a few years of this, I decided to focus on jewelry full time.

The aesthetic is minimalist but with bold lines. I make jewelry that is unfussy, wearable and fun. I love creating pieces with a story that can go with you on any and all adventures; pieces that are relatable to people, regardless of their personal style. I have found that the jewelry speaks to people of all ages, genders and backgrounds, and that makes me really happy.

Jewelry is a field of endless specializations and metalsmithing is a practice that involves a lot of technical skill. I always try to improve myself both in design and in the technical requirements of my work, learning new skills and reinforcing current ones. I think people are interested in this journey, and appreciate seeing the process behind how their jewelry is made.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

I design and make all of the pieces in my collection with the support of vendors in the Jewelry District of New York City. When I started taking classes on how to make jewelry, the teachers would recommend vendors that they go to, and so I started going to them as well. This is still how I find vendors now: through recommendations of trusted peers in the industry. However, as a maker, I have a hand in majority of the production process. My passion is working with my hands and so I will always want to be able to make the pieces myself. However, I have learned the importance of playing to my skill sets. There are certain processes I truly enjoy: fabrication, wax carving, experimenting with new designs. Then there are processes that I know are better left with the experts: casting, mold making, stone setting and polishing. The vendors have decades of experience in these skills and they are also a great source of information on best practices for me as a maker. Teamwork and a good relationship with all the people in the production process are keys to success.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The co-working studio in Brooklyn that I am a member of, Brooklyn Metalworks, opened a brick and mortar jewelry store called Specific Gravity. There, they sell the work of the different artists working in the studio. They have been so instrumental for me the last couple of years because they are the best sales people for my work. Because the owners are themselves metalsmiths, they understand the work that goes into each piece and thus the value of them. Aside from educating the customers on the story behind the pieces, they educate me about what customers are looking for and how I can improve my line.

Aside from that, current and repeat customers have been the backbone of the business since I started. Their loyalty and enthusiasm in spreading the word about me has brought me new customers over the years.

Contact Info:

• Website: kristinecabanban.com
• Instagram: https://www.kristinecabanban.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinecabanban/
• Other: You can find me on instagram @kristinecabanbanjewelry and on Vero True Social @kc. Links are below: https://www.instagram.com/kristinecabanbanjewelry/ https://vero.co/kc

Image Credits
Clay Enos Michael Gambino