Dear Friends,

I opened Katy Beh Contemporary Jewelry in 1998 head over heels in love with handmade fine jewelry. Now 13 years later, I'm happy to say I'm still madly in love!  But, the time has come for me to shake things up a bit. It's time to get down & dirty. I'm ready to make a deep & lasting commitment to luscious gemstones and buttery gold.  I'm finally going to make some this yummy stuff myself!

KBCJ was a labor of love and my work of art for the last thirteen years. I've always felt that I went to my store each day to work on my business instead of feeling I had to go to work. I've been very, very lucky to serve some pretty dynamic artists and clients over my twenty years of slinging jewelry. I'm equally blessed to be a part of the entrepreneurial power house we call Magazine Street in New Orleans. The strength of my business comes from these relationships. Please know, you are the foundation of KBCJ's vision and success. You made this all so deeply worthwhile. Thank you.

I have a fancy-schmancy degree in all this sparkly hammering & banging stuff propped up in my store. I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jewelry & Light Metals from Rhode Island School of Design (a very serious long time ago when we wore lots of black, Sony Walkmans and smoked indoors). Ever the rebel artist, I had to take the road less traveled and not be an artist. A pile of student loans pushed me pretty hard towards a steady paycheck, too. But, I found I had a knack for retail and combined with my beloved jewelry and tendency to gab...Oh Lawd!  A career was born. Several cities later taught me New Orleans was my spiritual home. Twenty years ago! I do believe it's time I get back to the bench, this time in the Big Easy.

But to do so, it's with a melancholy heart I must close my beautiful store. I love it dearly, but I have another dream that I need to nurture now.

I'm very excited to set aside the rigidity of maintaining a storefront and having the freedom to stretch my wings as an artist. I'm still in awe of the courage one can find in the passionate dream that just simply won't take "not now" for an answer. I didn't know I had it in me. But I'm so terribly grateful I do!

Very truly yours,