Artisan jeweler Carolyn Roumeguere is a woman of the world in every sense. Born in France, she grew up with the Maasai in Kenya after her mother, an anthropologist, married a Maasai warrior. Carolyn was inspired by the tribal adornment of Maasai women and girls, as well as the raw beauty and magical sunsets of African landscapes. She would sit under an acacia tree and learn the rituals of threading intricate beaded jewelry, Maasai style. Though Carolyn later went to school in Paris and briefly modeled, her heart remained in Africa and she returned when she was 20 years old, bridging the Kenyan community with the rest of the world through her designs.  “It was an upbringing that has rooted itself in her heart and her vision,” says Donna. “She finds unique individual pieces and connects these pieces to make a whole. It is the power and the spirit of the individual soul.”

 Carolyn’s tribal-inspired jewelry, not surprisingly, reflects the organic shape and spirit of traditional nomadic style, yet incorporates the modernity of luxe materials such as 18 karat gold, bone, crystal gems, pink sapphire rough-cut diamonds, hammered discs and African colonial coins. For years, Carolyn has worked directly with the Maasia women to create her original pieces, all of which are exotically beautiful, ethical and reflect the cultural richness of the Kenyan tribe. She gives a portion of proceeds from  her work back to support the community. Says Donna, “Carolyn truly understands the wisdom of culture and community. She finds inspiration in the nomadic tribes of the world, from the cultures, to the traditional crafts to the children whose education she has helped support through her work.”

Carolyn now lives in Mexico, where new inspirations and designs are unfolding and will always have a home at Urban Zen.