Meet Kate

The beach loving, surf traveling, jewelry collecting, creative behind the brand. Kate grew up near the beaches of Montauk chasing the surf and sailing the Atlantic. She made her way to the west coast where she attended UC Santa Barbara and fell in love with a point break. She was in the water more than the classroom so decided to head south to Los Angeles where she she began a career in television and film that has spanned 20 years.

In between jobs Kate always found her way back to the ocean. After a lifetime of flirting with jewelry making, she found her inspiration in tide pools, shells, and the vibrancy of beach communities. Her own laid back style has a touch of elegance and ease that she brings to each piece. Not wanting to take off her own jewelry to surf she has developed a line exclusively on sterling chain that will go from surf to sun and stay stunning through it all. Her use of natural elements and vibrant colors capture the vibes of eternal summer.

Materials

Low Tide LA uses semiprecious stones, shell, and mother of pearl to convey the colors and elements of the sea. It was important to capture the vibrant colors of surf towns and we felt African beads lent that in their artistry, bold colors and patterns. African beads have been used for centuries in trading for goods beginning with the cowrie shell bead. They are believed to be among the first exchanged in trading for goods. In the 4th century B.C glass beads made their way into Africa from Egypt, Portugal and Europe and thus began the trade boom in Africa. Europeans began making colorful glass beads to trade including one of the most iconic, the Venetian chevron bead. Made in Venice by highly skilled artisans, these glass beads were not only layered in color and pattern but made strong for the long distance journeys to west Africa where they were predominantly used.

The African trading bead represents the artistry of humanity and the travel to distant exotic places. We work with companies and individuals that source from developing communities to provide support and encourage ethical trading. These beads are all artisan made or sourced antiques. Our goal as a company is to support creative communities so as to hold onto the uniqueness of ancient crafts.