Contemporary Fine Jewelry
Jewelry is in Caroline Ballou's blood. Since 1886, four generations of the Ballou family have made their company one of Rhode Island's most important manufacturers of fine jewelry. As a young designer, Caroline took a different course. After receiving her MFA, she opened her own studio, producing art jewelry for galleries, hosting private shows with limited edition pieces, and she received several design awards.
Scirocco Sterling Silver Soft Hammered Finish Necklace
There's a dry dusty wind that originates in the Sahara, blows over the Mediterranean and makes people feel edgy. Wind may be invisible but its effects can be seen in sand, rock, trees, and people. To my son, the wind looks like whirlwind – he draws it as spirals. To me, it brings waves of nostalgia.
Caroline creates a fine jewelry collection with a cross-cultural edge, the sophisticated product of worldwide influences filtered through the sensibility of a thoroughly contemporary artist. Combining rich colors, textures, rhythms, symbols, and patterns, she develops a broad mix of necklaces, cuffs, bracelets, rings and earrings.
Highland Cobblestone Bracelet
18k Soft Finish w/ Polished Edge Bracelet
7 5/8" Length
As the Design Director for the family company, Caroline Ballou's career took on a new dimension when she began to design her own line. She combined her contemporary visions with the history of high quality standards and infinite technical expertise of her family company, B. A. Ballou. She gave life to the fifth generation era of design innovation in the well respected jewelry manufacturing company. A bit of history is infused into each piece, as it is Caroline's interpretation of decorative traditions gathered from many different cultures.
Verona Sterling Silver Cuff w/ Polished Texture
A city that's been important for millennia builds in stone. Bridges dating back to Augustus, nearly destroyed in wars, are faithfully reconstructed of the same stone. The view from my balcony looks over stone houses and tile rooftops to the Adige river.
Working in sterling silver and 18k gold, Caroline adds excitement with semiprecious gemstones, some being exclusively designed and cut for fine quality and distinction. Diamonds and pearls add a strong yet feminine elegance. Textures in sterling silver are darkened (oxidized) to illuminate the richly incised forms.
Gold becomes an art form, sleek and polished, hammered, and matte, each piece with a warm glow. Intriguing surface treatments, combinations of precious metals, and contemporary stones and beads are used in illustrating a casual elegance that is Caroline Ballou.
Caroline's collections are for the woman seeking individuality; from modern classics with a twist to the refined adaptations of trends. Touchable and wearable, the entire collection moves easily from day to evening, adding pizzazz to business wear and a touch of exclusive luxury to weekend and dinner fashions.
Artist Statement
As an artist, I'm observant by nature. And yet, there's something about setting foot on foreign soil that really sharpens the senses. My footprints vanish in a moment but the textures and colors and shapes of a place take root in my soul.
