I sat down to write about one of Ana Katarina’s heart jewels in advance of Valentine’s Day and realized I couldn’t possibly choose just one.
These magnetic jewels might be seen as the anti-heart hearts: They’re not cute or sweet, and while they might be romantic, it’s not in the mushy, heart-on-your-sleeve sort of way.
Ana Katarina’s work exemplifies how nuanced heart jewelry can be. Each piece is detailed with some type of barbed design: flame-like rays of diamonds, spiky accents courtesy of culet-up diamonds, a toothy frame of thorns to keep trespassers out. These styles are easy to love but hard to “get” (much like human hearts).
The jewels pictured here are not all from the same collection; they share an icon but not a singular perspective, meaning, or emotional charge. Some are in Ana Katarina’s Pierce Your Heart line, where diamonds are set culet-up to mimic spikes—a celebration of love in all its romance, tempered by daring.
“A spiked heart is set with inverted pink sapphires, diamonds, or rubies—stones chosen for both beauty and symbolism,” says Katarina, designer for her eponymous brand. “On the reverse, the spikes are carefully nubbed to protect the skin, transforming sharpness into comfort. Many clients instinctively rub their Pierce Your Heart pieces as a touchstone or during meditation, grounding themselves in its meaning.”
Another Katarina collection, Impeccable Words, features both Flaming Heart and Beating Heart designs, including signet rings and key pendants modeled after old wax seals. The collection gets its name from Mexican spirituality writer Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements, rooted in ancient Toltec philosophy. One such agreement—”Be Impeccable With Your Word”—serves as a reminder of the power language carries and the responsibility that comes with wielding it.
“Love is wild and complex, requiring daring, vulnerability, strength, and courage. When we love, we are changed—and we change others,” Katarina says. Of the Flaming Heart ring pictured above, she notes, “Engraved on the inside are the words ‘Be in love’—not as an instruction, but as a state of mind. The Flaming Heart embodies this belief fully.
“The antique-inspired wax seal silhouette was chosen intentionally,” she adds. “Historically used to mark documents with meaning and authority, the signet ring invites the wearer to imprint their world with love and purpose. On the back, a delicately engraved love mandala radiates the energy of compassion, connection, and intention.”
The fiercest (in my opinion) of Ana Katarina’s collections is Heartitude. Inspired by motivational speaker Brené Brown’s phrase “Strong back, soft front, wild heart,” the pieces encourage leading with fearlessness. On each jewel, spikes surrounding the heart act as armor and edge—resilience without hardness, bravery without compromise.
“The Heartitude bracelet reflects my ongoing fascination with arrows, reimagined here as a sculptural toggle closure,” Katarina says. “In ancient symbolism, arrows were believed to be manifestations of thought—directed, purposeful, and powerful. That meaning resonated deeply with the Heartitude philosophy.”
For Valentine’s Day and all the days that follow, these hearts are talismans of intention, armor disguised as romance—jewels for those who know that love, at its best, is both tender and formidable.
Top: Heartitude bracelet in 18k yellow gold with 0.47 ct. t.w. diamonds, $10,810; Ana Katarina
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