Her petite stature and passion for innovative products have inspired Carissa Grothman to design jewelry. Wearing a bracelet has always been a challenge for her because it would slide off, and she began to question why women should be punished if they were not a “Normal Size”. She soon began experimenting with the physical properties of rubber and decided to apply a square wire through a square hole in rubber, giving the rubber part four axes on which to rotate. The possibilities became endless and a sizing mechanism was born, which was recently granted a U.S. Patent. She is able to apply this concept to other designs allowing her jewelry to challenge the common perception of shape, function and fit. The mechanics of this patented function allow Carissa to create mobility in her jewelry that results in unparalleled versatility in the marketplace.

Carissa Grothman received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in the department of Metals and Jewelry from Savannah College of Art and Design and now lives in Northern Illinois with her husband and daughter. Each piece of jewelry is hand made in her studio by Carissa (and her husband who helps with the polishing!). Her designs use Santoprene, an extremely durable thermoplastic rubber, which is injection molded by a local company. The metal is then constructed and cleaned using techniques that take great care to prevent the rubber from melting and finally the stones are individually hand set in the rubber parts.