Erica Courtney - Iconic Fine Jewelry

Text: Sandra Kemppainen

Photos: courtesy of Erica Courtney, Inc.

Fuelled by her entrepreneurial spirit and innate artistry, Erica Courtney has built one of the most successful jewelry brands in the industry.

Though jewelry design was not her first career path, it was her true calling. thirty years ago, Erica was a young single mother without a financial future; now she is a brand that is recognised worldwide.

For nearly a decade she was on a wanted list by the FBI, for kidnapping her son, then 4 years old, because she feared her ex-husband was about to win full custody. Between 1983 and 1992, Courtney adopted an alias, Erica Kane, used to open bank accounts without a social security number. “When you live like this”, she says, “you learn to charm the birds from the trees.”

As a fugitive, Courtney discovered her entrepreneurial instincts. In Dallas she began decorating sunglasses with rhinestones and selling them to local shops. Two years later she was working with diamonds and pulling in $500,000 a year. Her son Josh was helping her and in 1991 his designs ended up in Beverly Hills, 90210. 

The first piece of Erica Courtney's jewellery I saw is this ring with a stunning fire opal. It was on Facebook and it had been shared by some fashion fan page. For some minutes I just sat there staring at the stone and the intricate design. I then looked up the designer and I kept browsing her work. I absolutely love the use of coloured gemstones, mixed with diamonds.

Erica’s success is due to her innovation: her work has evolved from costume jewelry to exquisite gold and gemstone collections.

Erica’s powerful voice in the industry, and her unique point of view has ushered in a new era of design.

Erica Courtney tirelessly travels the world to source the most precious, most coveted, most unique gemstones to set in 18k gold and platinum using countless pave diamonds. Every single gem and rareTahitian pearl is handpicked by Erica- she lets the stones and pearls “speak” to her thus working only with materials that inspire her. Courtney takes great pride in sketching every single design personally, as a one-woman design staff-dynamo, as well as having all of her creations produced locally, in Los Angeles, by a 2nd generation master artisan. Erica’s intense love affair with master craftsmanship is embodied in each and every exquisite piece in her award-winning collection.

 In an industry replete with hundred-million-dollar companies, jewelry designer erica Courtney, named one of the “top 3 Jewelry Designers in the world” by united brands, has established herself as a pioneering and inspirational force.

Her brand, which started as a one-woman operation out of her Dallas apartment, is now internationally renowned. Erica’s current collections, made with fine gold, platinum, and exotic gemstones, have attracted discerning collectors like Elizabeth taylor, Madonna and Johnny Depp. as an absolute darling of television and media, her jewelry has graced the pages of elite media outlets from The New York Times to Vogue.

Erica’s designs have been described in many ways — brave, forceful, prolific — but no descriptor is more fitting than “passionate.”

Erica’s journey, from struggling single mother to famed jewelry designer, is reflected in her spirited, luxurious and unique designs. she is a singular, powerful force in the industry, and a role model to women and designers alike.

See more on Erica Courtney's website.