My name is Kate Johnstin, Designer & Founder of Lilje Marguerite. 

"Sometimes the things we've lost can be found in the most unexpected places." 

How Lilje Marguerite Came To Be...

LM began in the summer of 2022. My mom had been sick for quite some time, and over the past few years, I watched her struggle with her health. Knowing her condition didn't change the feeling of heartbreak and shock when she was admitted to the hospital on June 17th, 2022. The month she spent in the hospital was a rollercoaster of emotions as my family and I watched my mom fight the disease that would eventually end her life. We spent hours sitting with her each day that month, most of which were spent talking about the things she enjoyed most in life and me making bracelets for her, loved ones, and her nurses. 

A few months before my mom was in the hospital, my oldest daughter Daisy and I had taken on beading and jewelry making as a project. We quickly took an interest in creating beautiful necklaces and bracelets and were excited to create pieces we wanted to wear and share with the people we loved. My youngest daughter Lily loves everything about jewelry, just like her mama, and naturally HAS to wear some necklace or bracelet every day to match her outfit...It is safe to say that the love and art of beautiful jewelry run strong in our genes.

 For the past few years, I have been on the search for quality, stylistic, dainty, meaningful jewelry pieces. Unable to find exactly what I was looking for, I started making it myself. I wanted something unique, beautiful, yet functional, affordable, and, most importantly, durable. While making my pieces, I fell in love with not only the end product but the creation process of jewelry. It is fascinating and meditative to me. It is my passion. I have decided to take my knowledge and skills to the next level and am currently taking goldsmithing courses.

A little background...

During my mom's lifetime, she had not only taken an interest in the beauty of jewelry but also the art of making it. At a young age, she attended Goldsmithing School in Denmark (where she was born and raised) and, over time became an incredibly talented Goldsmith & jewelry maker. Little did I know we would share this same passion, eventually leading to an unexpected, unimaginable journey and business. 

How Did I Start Selling My Jewelry?

One day, I chose to share my "work" on my personal Instagram, having 0 expectations. To say I was surprised by the level of interest was an understatement. Around this time, a good friend told me, "This is something special, and you need to start a business." I was hesitant at first but, over time, warmed up to the idea of it. Here we are months later, and it couldn't feel more right or meant to be.

Lilje Marguerite is more than a jewelry company. It is a way to find comfort and embrace strength, hope, healing when wearing our pieces.

LM is a piece of myself, my mother, and my daughters. My heart goes into every piece of jewelry I create, designed explicitly with intention and meaning behind it. What do I mean by the term "meaning"? Almost every piece of my jewelry includes a stone with specific properties, and by wearing it, you can bring those qualities to life. Wearing stones with particular properties was (and continues to be) very comforting to me during the more challenging times and the good.

Discovering gorgeous stones with their particular properties and mixing them with classic-looking gold-plated materials makes our pieces stunning, thoughtful, unique, and one-of-a-kind. 

Lilje Marguerite is inspired by my mom Lise, who recently passed last summer.

My admiration for jewelry began at a young age. As a little girl, I remember sitting and watching my mom get ready for her dinner parties. I was in awe, observing her trying to decide which stunning jewels she would wear that evening. My dad always bought her the most beautiful, classic pieces like a pure gold cable-link necklace, a unique coin pendant, or a stunning ring with a large gem and diamonds surrounding it. They were the kinds of pieces that are just as in style today as they were 35 years ago. They were timeless and contained the same essence we strive to achieve in all of Lilje Marguerite's pieces.

XoXo

 -Kate