When an accessory is so divine, one can only wonder how much love, patience, and care went into its creation.
Carolily Jewelry was created out of love. Donna and Danielle Scheven, the mother-daughter team behind the West Kelowna-based design house, launched Carolily to honour two exceptional women in their lives who guided them and taught them to be compassionate and committed – Carol and Lily, Donna’s mother and grandmother.
The Name Speaks Volumes
During World War ll, as Churchill instructed Britain to “keep calm, and carry on,” women like Carol and Lily would don their pearl strands and ‘regiment red’ lipstick like armour and step outside their homes, ready to take on whatever the day would bring them. Their courage, unwavering confidence and ability to keep moving forward in challenging times have always inspired the Canadian duo.
With Donna’s passion for artistry and jewelry making and Danielle’s background in digital marketing, an online boutique filled with stunning, handcrafted jewelry made perfect sense, and Carolily became a reality.
Carolily designs and meticulously handcrafts 100% of their statement jewelry in-house from pearls, gemstones, hypoallergenic stainless steel, and sterling silver.
Looking at Carolily’s jewelry, one can see they are obsessed with pearls! Currently working with Austrian pearls, in the future, they aim to create with lustrous Akoya pearls and source directly from family-run farms.
A Process of Observation
When Donna begins to conceptualize and create new collections, what she sees in nature often creates an emotion or energy that will be captured in pieces. The colours chosen will represent that energy or mood, and she will gather pearls, gemstones, crystals and such, lay them out, and ‘play’ until a combination that is just right emerges.
“I have always been enamoured with nature – enchanted by the perfection of a raindrop on a leaf and the movement and moods of water. “I am inspired by the jewelry of the Edwardian and Art Deco Eras, the craftsmanship, the intricate designs, how they reflect the spirit of that time, and what effect that had on women. And I gain great inspiration from the beauty and strength of women in their prime.”
Giving Back is Sharing Love
Donna and Danielle firmly believe that donating to charity makes the world a safer, healthier, and fairer place for all. From the beginning, Carolily has contributed to over a dozen organizations, from the Kelowna Women’s Shelter in 2016 to The First Nations Caring Society in 2022, and for 2023, have chosen Plan International. To them, it is essential to support girls in low-income countries with what they need to carry on with their schooling.
“Every time we handcraft a piece of jewelry, we pay homage to the women that came before us. We pay tribute to their family and ours, and together we celebrate the women of today.”
Currently preparing eight collections for Paris Fashion Week (October 2023), Donna and Danielle have enjoyed seeing their jewelry at New York Fashion Week (2019), and splashed across the pages of renowned publications like British Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamour, and Story of Fashion.
“For Paris Fashion Week, we are excited about collaborating with another fashion brand as part of the invitation,” said Donna. “As the Carolily designer, I look forward to having complete creative freedom to develop these new pieces.”
A Fit for Rolls-Royce
For 20 years, every Rolls-Royce motor car has been built by hand at Goodwood, the company’s state-of-the-art facility in the UK, and 2023 will see a series of festivities held at the facility and its surrounding properties.
Earlier this year, Carolily was approached by a prestigious publishing house in London to participate in the 20th-anniversary event that would celebrate the Rolls-Royce Goodwood relationship by creating a handmade hardback book.
“We are deeply honoured to share space and exhibit our jewelry with a company as prestigious as Rolls-Royce, not to mention the other brands participating in the anniversary event,” said Donna and Danielle.
“To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, the International Club for Rolls-Royce & Bentley Enthusiasts (RREC) commissioned publisher St James’s House to produce a luxury coffee-table book titled Strive for Perfection: Celebrating 20 years of Goodwood,” said Richard Freed, Founder of St James’s House and the SJH Group. “As a leading Canadian brand of exquisitely designed jewellery, Carolily was a perfect fit for inclusion in this publication.”
A Future of Design & Compassion
As for what the future holds for Carolily, the mother-daughter duo looks forward to their handcrafted creations sparking joy in women worldwide from strategic partnerships with retailers and sales agencies in North America. Becoming Carbon Zero certified is on their list of musts – making their love for nature and the environment quantifiable.
“Sharing the Carolily love, one necklace at a time” is not just something we say; it is an idea that lights a fire in our hearts every day.”
Author Profile
- Helen Siwak is the founder of EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications Inc and publisher of Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, PORTFOLIOY.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine, and digital women's lifestyle magazine EcoLuxLifestyle.co. She is a prolific content creator, consultant, and marketing and media strategist within the ecoluxury lifestyle niche. Post-pandemic, she has worked with many small to mid-sized plant-based/vegan brands to build their digital foundations and strategize content creation and business development. Helen is the west coast correspondent to Canada’s top-read industry magazine Retail-Insider, holds a vast freelance portfolio, and consults with many of the world’s luxury heritage brands. Always seeking new opportunities and challenges, you can email her at helen@ecoluxluv.com.
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