A Local Jewelry Designer Barks Up the Right Tree With Her Dog-Inspired Creations

The end of a messy relationship caused Carrie Cramer to truly fall in love with “man’s best friend”—her dog, Atticus. Atticus was a gift she received just a few weeks before that relationship ended, and every morning for months afterwards Carrie forced herself to get up, walk the dog and try to be upbeat and positive for her new puppy.

Now she says, “I am the happiest I’ve ever been, and I couldn’t have done it without him.” It would be years later that Atticus would again inspire Carrie, a costume designer and graduate in fine arts from USC, to pour her soul into something positive and uplifting: a customized jewelry line for animal lovers.

Carrie has always been creative. After graduating from college, she landed a job in the art department at MTV and took to it like a duck to water—building a very successful career as an L.A.-based stylist dressing celebrities, musicians and TV personalities. Though the production world can be intense and demanding, she loved it. But 14-hour days and tons of travel put a strain on having a life outside work.

After meeting her now-husband Rich and making a move to the South Bay, she decided to slow down a bit. This was a new place, a new beginning, and she felt inspired to create something fresh and different. As a jewelry lover and collector, she focused her artistic talents on creating a high-end jewelry line that celebrated the love of Atticus.

“Dogs have that power to make everyone around them radiate.”

The idea first came to her from two great prints she got from Crate & Barrel (one was of a Frenchie and the other a schnauzer), which she thought would make a great silhouette for a necklace. Within a month she had hired a graphic designer and figured out the rest on her own.

“Dogs have that power to make everyone around them radiate,” she says. “That’s exactly what I hope my debut line of necklaces will do: make women shine.”

Carrie Cramer Fine Jewelry officially launched in 2016. Carrie sells direct to consumer through her website (carriecramer.com), and her handcrafted pieces can be found locally throughout Los Angeles. Because each piece is made to order, clients can customize and personalize their charm as they desire.

The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive, with features in Aventura, Buzz Meter, the LA Times and Us Weekly. Carrie’s pieces also adorn celebrities such as Sharon Osbourne, Chelsea Handler and Carole Radziwill. She shares, “I hope my jewelry adds a bit of sparkle to people’s lives, just like Atticus did for me.”