Carré Jewellery: It's in the Stones, It's in the Stories

Carré Jewellery’s headquarters are not exactly what you’d expect. For a business so acutely Danish, their work space is anything but Scandinavian minimalist.

Books line the shelves, knick-knacks crowd multiple surfaces. Their conference room has a large bird cage in the corner and a shining brown wood dining table in the center. The many pictures, colored rugs and boxes of all sizes give the impression of a the curios of a few decades spent traveling rather than a place of work.

But that’s exactly how Carré wants you to feel. When I sat down with Christine Baltsen, head of PR and Marketing, the first thing she did was show me Carré’s new lookbook. It’s not your usual lookbook, either. The book is thick and heavy, with hand-painted details and personal touches such as the illustrations of creator Shiri Haugbøl’s mother and home photographs.

Haugbøl, who founded Carré 22 years ago, nurtured her interest in jewels through the family diamond business. For that reason, Haugbøl’s family is a major part of the Carré identity. Starting with Asian-inspired designs, she soon developed her own distinctive look that carries through all the pieces.

If the story of Carré is important to the brand, the gemstones are just as prominent. Carré is French for square-cut stones, and the focus on the gem quality extends past the name. Just a quick look through their line shows a fascination with the individuality of the stone, expert cuts and eye-catching colors.

Is Carré’s style essentially Danish or Nordic, I ask? “Other than of course our background, what really defines us as Danish is that we let the materials speak for themselves. What others might consider an irregularity in the gems we see as special and individual. We stick to metals and designs that highlight the stones. Everything is handmade, and that gives each piece its own story.”

Stories and Stones: these seems to be Carré’s main concern. The combination really works. With stores throughout Denmark as well as in Japan, Taiwan and China, the line is well-known for their high-quality and consistent design. This includes the flower and bird charms that have become synonymous with the company.

Over a cup of coffee and a room filled with symbols of a life well-lived, Christine takes me through what makes Carré so compelling, “We like to say that we’re for the young woman, her mother and her grandmother,” she tells me. It’s easy to imagine with these pretty pieces. Often lines are done in gold as well as rhodinated silver for an edgier-feel, but the overall design stays the same.

Romance No Thanks gold-plated sterling silver ring with tourmaline stones

With the Romance No Thanks collection launching this fall, Carré adds another dimension to their look. Taking a step back from the whimsical and instead infusing their pieces with a touch of modern shaping and material, the triangle and diamond outline still contain a typically Carré stone-flecked design. The line consists of gold plated sterling silver with tourmaline stones and double-oxidized silver with Zirconia. The diamond-shaped multicolored-stone yellow gold ring in particular is a standout (I’m a ring girl. Sorry/not sorry).

No matter where Carré goes from here, with them they take their stories. That’s what makes it Carré, and that’s why it’s so easy to attach your own story to each piece.

Look out for our upcoming earring giveaway with Carré to celebrate the launch of their new collection!

Romance No Thanks double oxidized silver bracelet with Zirconia