I design for a woman’s hand,” she says. “The shank is rounded so it fits comfortably in the crease of your finger. I often make one side of the ring higher than the other so it fits the profile of your palm, which isn’t symmetrical. Earrings are always mirror images of each other, so they frame your face. I think a woman designer thinks about jewelry differently because she wears it herself. It should feel as good as it looks.”

“I prefer large gemstones, with lots of brilliance, but I understand that there are customers who prefer a more delicate complement to their style. It’s not about imposing my vision, it’s about discovering the vision of the woman who will wear the piece.”

In the last 30 years, 15 as the head designer for Trigem Designs, Kathe Mai has created a staggering 12,000 individual pieces of jewelry, in the process creating a design vocabulary of clean lines, contemporary fluidity, and classic elegance, with the comfort and wearability that makes each piece destined to be a favorite.

In the process, her reputation has quietly grown. The anonymous designer has become known for creating some of the country’s most innovative colored gemstone jewelry.

Thanks to Trigem Designs and its gem mining and cutting parent Columbia Gem House, Kathe has the advantage of an