Catbird (jeweler)

Catbird is an American jeweler. It was founded in 2004 in Brooklyn, New York. It has influenced several trends in jewelry fashion. The brand is particularly popular among Millenials and Gen-Zers.

History
The brand was founded in 2004 by Rony Vardi in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood. According to Women's Wear Daily it was "among the first fine jewelers to sell online". In 2015 Le Bon Marché featured it in a Brooklyn-themed popup. By 2024 it had storefronts in Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC's Georgetown neighborhood, and three in New York City.

Designs
The brand's designs are small, delicate, and dainty. They include bracelets, necklaces, rings, charms, and earrings. Designs are considered, often intended to be stacked and layered with each other. The New York Times called it "demi-fine" to distinguish it from costume jewelry and fine jewelry.

The shops offer permanently welded-in-place custom bracelets, which they've offered since 2017 and are credited with inventing. Permanent jewelry went viral in the early 2020s.

The brand focuses on sourcing sustainably and avoiding conflict resources in its designs, using recycled diamonds and gold for almost all.

Collaborations
The brand has collaborated with Phoebe Bridgers, Jenny Slate, Leith Clark, Sofia Coppola, Boygenious, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Some limited edition collaborative pieces sold out within a day of release.

Popularity and influence
According to the Washington Post, the brand has "been at the forefront of a number of jewelry trends over the past two decades, including a move to smaller, more delicate jewelry" than the larger, heavier pieces which had been popular in previous decades. Refinery 29 said the brand deserves much of the credit for the fashion trend of layering multiple delicate rings, bracelets, and necklaces. Women's Wear Daily credited it with creating a "fresh way" to stack rings. Glamour said it had "almost single-handedly popularized stacking and knuckle rings". Elle said the knuckle ring, also known as the midi ring, "all began" with Catbird.

The brand is particularly popular among Millennials and Gen-Zers. Taylor Swift and Meghan Markle have worn pieces, and Bridgers has said she wears no other jewelry.