About Resa Royale
“Resa” is Swedish. It means “to travel.”
I am Catherine Wilcox, founder of Resa Royale. I travel to find jewelry made by independent designers around the world, and I bring it home for you to explore.
How it began
For years I worked as a healthcare lawyer. That gave me the opportunity to travel. I loved learning about the culture of each place I visited. The architecture, the food, the music, the fashion. Most of all, I loved the jewelry. I was drawn to its beauty, its originality and its richness.
In time I took the big step and started a jewelry company. I had never worked in a jewelry store, so I had everything to learn.
How I learned to buy
I began in St. Thomas, an island in the Caribbean known for its jewelry stores. I went from one store to the next and asked the people who worked there how the owners found their jewelry. I heard the same answer again and again. They go to the premier shows for the jewelry trade.
So that is what I did. I got the credentials and I went. Designers come to these shows from all over the world. When I saw designer work I liked, I bought one or two pieces and brought them home.
How I choose a piece today
I still start small. I buy a few pieces from a designer and see how my customers respond.
When a designer is new to me, or when I want to be certain about a piece, I ask my gemologist to review it. He has come to shows with me, and he has introduced me to designers whose work I now carry.
When customers love a designer’s work, I may go to see that designer. I visit the workshop in their own country, look at everything they make, and get to know the people behind it.
I also look for designers wherever I am going. Before a trip, I study jewelry designers in that country and ask for an appointment. That is how I came home from Japan with pieces that sold quickly.
I have not been to every country we feature. Sometimes I learn about a designer and reach out to them first.
I came to the jewelry business with no fixed idea of how it is supposed to be done. I like to think that has made me open to things others might never try.
What comes with your piece
Every piece arrives with a note that describes the metal, the gemstones, and the artist or the country it came from. It is wrapped beautifully, with care instructions.
Shipping and returns are complimentary, and every purchase has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Come along
I am still traveling, still adventuring, still discovering. What I love most is meeting you and helping you find a piece that feels like your own.
Explore the collections by country. Read the travel stories. Wear the jewelry and share the experience of Resa Royale with others.
Thank you for being the uniquely wonderful person you are.
Catherine
People Often Ask
Is there any meaning behind the Resa Royale logo?
Yes. Vicki Junk Wright is a great artist. She is also a leader and an educator. Vicki brought people together to create beautiful art for our flagship hospital, and I had the privilege of working with her.
With a financial contribution, I asked Vicki if she could make a logo for Resa Royale. Vicki turned it into a learning opportunity. At the high school where she taught art, she taught each class about logos, then asked the students to make a Resa Royale logo. The results were great.
Vicki narrowed down the finalists. We took pieces of the four favorites and put them together. At the top of the logo, we put a dove that also looks like a crown.
The crown goes with the word “Royale” in our name. The dove stands for peace and the presence of the Holy Spirit, the breath of God.
At the holidays, we make sure ornamental doves are given out.