Form and function

Manhattan is not always the center of cutting-edge style. Cool sophistication and contemporary chic are only a short train hop away at Mociun, a destination for distinctive diamond and gemstone jewelry in the Brooklyn hipster hub of Williamsburg.

Caitlin Mociun, a California native, has lived in Malaysia and Prague. But Williamsburg holds special appeal, she says. “I began my clothing brand here in 2006, and it’s where I gained a following, which carried over to my jewelry when I opened my store in 2012.” She describes Williamsburg as the “best shopping neighborhood in Brooklyn” for her clientele, who appreciate her simple, unexpected elegance that reflects the Bauhaus influence of achieving a harmony of design and function.

“The Bauhaus method really stuck with me,” explains Mociun, who studied textiles at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). “I tend to start my design process by using basic geometric shapes and colors as building blocks. When designing jewelry, I’m inspired by the materials I’m working with, and think about how I’m putting them together to create a piece of jewelry that’s beautiful and functional.”

Custom combinations

Mociun is known for her custom and limited-edition designs, which include non-traditional engagement rings such as an old mine-cut pear diamond solitaire or a blue-sapphire and diamond baguette ring. Her stone cluster rings, which range from a seafoam tourmaline to a carre-cut-diamond line cluster ring, are “especially popular,” she reports.

“Even if they don’t have a Mociun engagement ring, many people come to us for wedding bands,” she adds, such as her Eleven Trillion Peach Sapphire band, or her Arcade ring with channel-set diamonds.

Feels like home

In addition to jewelry, the store carries a selection of home goods, which Mociun chooses from an array of designers.

“The home-goods part of our business is more about curation and my love for putting unexpected things together, for finding cool objects and wanting to share them with clients,” she explains. “We’re proud of how we seek out and represent talented, independent makers that often aren’t carried anywhere else in New York. I’ve discovered our makers in many different places, from craft fairs to blogs.”

These products appeal to a different side of buyers, according to Mociun. “People buy jewelry because of a sentimental reason or a milestone in their lives. When they buy a mug or a vase, it’s more like a treat-yourself. Offering home goods is a way to get into people’s homes and be part of another aspect of their lives.”

Her own flavor

Mociun’s “love of architecture and spaces” is at the heart of her décor sensibility. “My approach...is about creating and influencing the environment people are shopping in. I want to immediately immerse our customers in my world, so when they come into the space, the feeling and the shopping experience they have is uniquely Mociun.”

She believes a display “should represent your jewelry and your brand. Put your own flavor on it and don’t copy other people. This is part of what has made Mociun successful and sets us apart from other designers.”

mociun.com 

Charmed life

“Our first charm collection, inspired by iconic New York foods, came about because I’ve always been drawn to objects that are off-scale, as well as fake food,” admits Caitlin Mociun. “I loved the idea of miniature foods made out of gold and gemstones and calling it Fine Foods. I thought it was cute play on words.”

The collection includes New York favorites such as pizza, hot dogs, donuts, and assorted bagels — some with a schmear of diamond cream cheese.

“We just launched another collection of charms inspired by the beauty of sign language,” adds Mociun. That line depicts the signs for each letter of the alphabet, as well as for the phrase “I love you.” Mociun has pledged to donate 10% of the profits to New York’s Lexington School for the Deaf.

“I like working on charms for a few different reasons,” she says. “I love being able to create fun, interesting little objects that might be cheesy on a ring but are cool as charms. I personally enjoy collecting and wearing charms, and love the story that you can tell with them. They’re a collection of mementos.”

For a retail jeweler, charms also offer practical advantages. “Charms are nice because you can play around with cost,” Mociun explains. “Depending on the materials and techniques involved, we can develop a range of affordable to high-end charms. [And] from a design standpoint, I have a lot of creative license with charms I don’t necessarily have in other categories.”