Regardless of what job title Karin Jamieson has held, from travel agent to financial planner to jewelry designer to wine importer, she defines her life—and, in some ways, her job choices—by a singular word: wanderlust.
Wanderlust is largely considered a love for travel, but it also means someone who meanders or takes their time along the circuitous routes that define their days. For Jamieson, breathing in every moment, whether it is a fantastic trip to Dubai or a spectacular Arizona sunset, is all part of what describes her and informs her jewelry design.
“I think my background in various jobs is rather interesting. I’ve loved each one and have learned from each one as well,” Jamieson says.
Her first job set her up for an entrepreneur’s life, Jamieson says. She started a lawn-mowing business in sixth grade and continued it through high school.
“It was great exercise and decent cash,” Jamieson says. “Before I could drive, my wonderful father would pack up our lawn mower in the back of his car, drive me to the job, and then come back and pick me up! Early entrepreneurship at its best.”
College took nine years to complete, thanks to three colleges and several relocations. But the long haul to higher education taught her persistence, Jamieson says. She got her marketing degree from Northern Kentucky University (NKU), doing case studies and business models along the way.
Jamieson became a travel agent in part because of that wanderlust, which started when her parents took her on a Caribbean cruise as a child, she says.
“What I loved was the researching and planning,” Jamieson says. “It was a wonderful learning experience, and I still use the techniques I learned today. Probably one of the cutest stories was a very sweet older lady who once told me that she couldn’t possibly have a window seat on her flight because she would have just gotten her hair done. We have traveled extensively around the world, and I never tire of it.”
Still trying to decide what to do with her career, Jamieson moved to become a financial adviser with a well-known investment firm.
“After graduating from NKU, I was trying to decide what to do,” Jamieson says. “I had always been interested in finance, and this was a perfect opportunity to explore that and run my own business. I still use budgeting and analyzing expenses daily in my jewelry business.”
At this time, Jamieson says she started taking GIA classes on the side but found them so intriguing that she kept going until she got her Graduate Gemologist certification. She began working for a major jewelry company while building a client list with her own designs. By 2009, she was doing trunk shows under her own name. She launched Karin Jamieson Jewelry in 2012.
Why jewelry? Well, just look at how beautiful it is and how it completes a woman’s look, Jamieson says.
“My maternal grandmother gave me an antique ring as a young girl that had been in her family for a long time. I was fascinated by everything about it—the style, the gold, the gem, and how it was made. I guess from then on, I was hooked,” Jamieson says. “Colored gemstones are forever intriguing to me, and I always begin with the stone and create my design from it. My goal is to make my brand fresh and modern but still classic.”
So, while her path has never been straight, that wanderlust has gotten her further than she imagined—and life continues to surprise her, Jamieson says.
“Little known fact: I also own a Spanish wine importing business. What’s better than wine and jewelry, right?” she says.
Top: Karin Jamieson says her brand represents her love of nature, and her choice of stones and settings reflect her many travels around the world (photos courtesy of Karin Jamieson Jewelry).
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