Kristen Baird®
Who is Kristen Baird?
Born and raised in Richmond, VA, Kristen planted her roots in Savannah, GA, after graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with a bachelor’s degree in Jewelry Design.
While Baird was initially drawn to interior design and architecture, she craved more hands-on creation, something tangible. She took one jewelry-making class and knew that it was her “favorite thing in the world.”
Learn about this entrepreneur who uses traditional metalsmithing skills:
Kristen Baird’s Designs
Combining ethically-sourced diamonds and gemstones with metals of the highest quality, Baird’s team utilizes and preserves traditional metalsmithing skills to bring their designs to life.
Kristen’s Insights
“People want jewelry that has a story and more meaning. Buying local, supporting artists, and shopping handcrafted is big. People have noticed small businesses struggling with the current state and want to put their dollars back into their local economies. It's refreshing!”
- Kristen Baird
The Kristen Baird Experience
From graduation to hiring her first employee, Kristen Baird has evolved into an award-winning, fine jewelry brand, nestled in historic Savannah. Between moss-covered oak trees and a glass of sweet tea, you can find Kristen and her team working in her studio, crafting each design by hand.
Social Style
Kristen Baird’s Story
To continue learning and hone in on her craft, Kristen received her Rhino CAD Certificate. She also attended the renowned New Approach School for Jewelers, completing the Graduate Bench Jeweler program under the direction of world-class instructor, Blaine Lewis. In 2015, she decided to start her own business, Kristen Baird® Jewelry.
Because Baird is a jewelry designer and maker, she works closely with customers on commissions and redesigns.
Baird is relatable and approachable, and her collaborations are a personal experience for everyone involved. Working with a local maker like Baird empowers customers to create something unique with a new story attached to the experience. She shares her creative endeavors on her blog and social media, as well as her latest venture: motherhood. “I'm inspired to create a new kind of mother-themed line,” Baird says. “It’s going to be different than the traditional birthstone collections. It’s going to incorporate family and children, in a different way, a new twist.”
Heirloom-worthy Jewelry
Kristen Baird offers a customer-focused experience while presenting jewelry collections bursting with passion, heart, and Southern charm. Baird draws inspiration from her southern upbringing—think idyllic summer days frolicking in fields, working in the gardens with her grandmother. Baird injects her work with colors and textures, juxtaposing forms both geometric and fluid, as though the designs might have sprung organically from the serene coastline of Georgia or the glorious hills of Tennessee. Each heirloom-worthy piece contains an authentic feeling of happiness and joy, a sense of nostalgia, and an essence of freedom.
Giving Back
As part of the Kristen Baird® Core Values, involvement in the local community is a priority. A portion of each sale is donated back to local charity, SD Gunner Fund, to make a difference in the lives of Veterans and children with special needs.
Baird’s all about heirloom redesigns right now
“People are looking at what they have (hello Covid-19 organizing spree!),” Baird says. “They want to highlight the stories but make the pieces into things they enjoy and can continue to cherish.”
When a client came to her with a box of jewelry inherited from generations of women in her family, though the pieces of jewelry were lovely, they weren’t the woman’s style. Baird broke down thirteen pieces of heirloom jewelry, pulled out the diamonds, and turned it into a pendant necklace.
Baird presented it to the woman with a packet showing the jewelry-making process. When the woman flipped through the packet, she started tearing up. When she opened the box with the necklace inside, Baird recalls “immediate waterworks.” Baird was excited because the redesigned piece was all of the woman’s family jewelry in one place where she could cherish it, wear it, and eventually pass it down to the next generation. “I always judge everything on the tear factor,” Baird says.