Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Krull
Hi Kristin, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Camba Jewelry sprang from the ultra creative mind of Kristin Krull in 2009 as a result of selling every one-of-a-kind piece right off her body, which helped fund her BFA degree in Spatial art. The jewelry brand merges 2 important factors to her well being— mindfulness practices and her love for beautiful, unique objects– such as semi-precious gems, luscious pearls, sparkling crystals and vintage pendants. Her work inspires today’s modern woman to be among the first to snag her exclusive pieces.
Kristin’s Bohemian-inspired jewelry has a long running presence in the San Francisco Bay Area and in her native Minnesota. Pop-up shops and jewelry trunk shows since 2011 have attracted upper-middle class women who seek to amplify their savvy style with Kristin’s unique designs. Her semi-precious gemstone jewelry has also been featured in various local fashion shows, and has been spotlighted in prominent magazines such as Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, British Vogue, Lucky, and Delta Sky. Because of these accolades, Kristin jokes “If you own a piece of Camba Jewelry, you own a piece of fashion history!”
Pre-pandemic, Camba Jewelry (pronounced khaam-bah) was sold in over 30 boutiques in Minnesota and was highlighted on several Twin Cities Live style segments. Most recently, Kristin has focused more on maintaining an online presence with her designs, as so many stores that sold her jewelry closed their doors post-pandemic. Kristin also has a long list of adoring customers who turn to her talents for custom pieces and custom gifts. She claims, “I love making custom jewelry for special occasions, but recently I’ve been getting a lot of requests to recreate and divvy-up vintage and estate jewelry among surviving family members. I even made a piece once called ‘Grandpa’s Buttons’, which turned out surprisingly well. The family loved it!”
Camba Jewelry intrigues stylish, mindful women with small-batch & one-of-a-kind gemstone jewelry. Shop her unique selection of gemstone bead necklaces, gold dangle earrings, women’s jewelry sets, gemstone bead bracelets, and pendant necklaces. Ready-made individual components from all over the world are used to create interesting finished pieces.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Picking the right platform to sell my jewelry seems to change frequently, especially as trendy apps come and go with the tide. I’ve been encouraged to start my own brick-and-mortar storefront, but the best aspect of making jewelry is freedom– I can spend long periods of time creating collections, but when I’m done, I need a break. Sometimes that looks like jumping on a plane to visit friends in San Francisco, other times it means nurturing friendships and other interests right here in town. The creative slide-show in my head is constant– I have to force myself to move around to find balance. A brick-and-mortar shop would weigh me down. With that realization, I’ve had to hit the pavement with my jewelry in tow, ducking in an out of local boutiques to see if my designs resonate with certain shops. Even if [my jewelry] does resonate with a boutique, I have to somehow present it in front of the right person. Those people– business owners and buyers– are very busy! It takes patience, grace, and an unbelievable amount of confidence and assertiveness to actually get my jewelry in a store. This is a real challenge, as these virtues don’t always show up in my daily life. I have to force myself to push past ‘imposter syndrome’ and feelings of inadequacy. The pandemic virtually erased much of the work I’ve done by forcing so many stores to close. I find myself at a crossroad– hit the pavement once again, or focus on other avenues– namely online.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
What sets my creative style apart from others, especially now, is that I just don’t care about what’s currently trending. I purposely don’t seek out what other jewelry artist’s are doing, as it affects my freedom to produce what’s in my heart. I specialize in one-of-a-kind necklaces and bracelets that, for the most part, are “over the top”. Big, bold, and colorful is where my attention lands, and I always insert something unexpected– whether hidden or highlighted– in a design. I love incorporating elements of nature: tiny bird charms, a bee stuck in Baltic amber, tree branches, insects, lightning, raindrops, etc. But these are not usually the focus of a piece– they are usually woven into the details. You have to dig to find it. I am endlessly intrigued by mystery.
How do you think about luck?
Luck works in my favor when it comes to my creativity but only as a result of continuous encouragement. I was convinced as a child that my art work– whether it was a drawing, painting, a book I created, a candy wrapper design, or a plastic beaded safety pin (shout out to 80’s aestethic!)– was “jaw-dropping” by enthusiastic adults around me, namely my mother and art teachers. When you are told something over and over, you start to believe it, you become it. Where I’ve been unlucky is in the support realm– monetarily and emotionally. I’m a Pisces in the truest form– things affect me deeply and if I’m not careful they can drown me, so to speak. It takes me longer than most people (it seems) to recover. But thankfully, I have making jewelry to help with that.
Pricing:
- average sale in 2024: $120
- earrings range from $24 – $80
- One-of-a-kind necklaces: $220 – $650
- Highest priced item: Hand-faceted Ametrine Necklace, 410 carats, $1200
- most expensive necklace sold: $1000, green amethyst necklace
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cambajewelry.etsy.com
- Instagram: @camba_jewelry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CambaJewelry
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/cambajewelry
