About me

The Jewelry Loupe is a blog/magazine for jewelry lovers, celebrating human ornament in all its facets. I take you behind the scenes of the hottest jewelry auctions and exhibits, and dig up the coolest work from designers and studio jewelers, past and present.

Launched in 2009, this site boasts a deep archive of jewelry history, reviews, profiles, and practical information for serious enthusiasts, including interviews with renown experts on gems and jewelry.

If you’ve landed here, you’re probably already fascinated by jewelry. If you follow, you know I feature “high jewelry,” but also art jewelry and alternative materials. I love unusual stones and exceptional carving. My interest is primarily in studio jewelry, craftsmanship as well as design. I believe there’s value in pushing boundaries. I also like to look at how people are wearing jewelry and what it says about us.

I’ve been covering this topic for a long time and it never gets old. Jewelry is the perfect microcosm for just about every interesting subject I can think of. Besides, we all need a little eye candy!

Cathleen McCarthy, founder & editor, The Jewelry Loupe

I’m Cathleen McCarthy, founder and editor of The Jewelry Loupe. I came to this blog as a jewelry specialist but also a well-published writer, editor and (sometimes) photographer with a degree in journalism. I’ve covered a few beats including art, travel, retail, and small business. But I found my groove (and all those other things) in jewelry more than 20 years ago.

I’ve profiled artists for Ornament, tracked design and business trends as a contributing editor for retail trades, explored shopping districts for The Washington Post, inflight magazines, and Fodor’s Travel. I’ve written about collecting for Town & Country, Elle Decor, Departures, Art & Antiques, and the Wall Street Journal.

As a longtime advocate for the jewelry arts and a creative independent myself, I’m more focused these days on helping other creatives earn a living doing what they love. And that means I get to earn a living doing what I love.

Contact me at cm@thejewelryloupe.com if you have something newsworthy to share, want to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, or just to say hello!

And please subscribe so I can keep you in the Loupe!

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