Circa 1700 debuts at COUTURE in June
In the slew of jewelry brands vying for attention, Circa 1700 stands apart for the deeply personal narratives encoded in every piece. Founded in 2013 in Los Angeles by Susan Cohen, Circa 1700 is more of a storytelling studio where every design is a portal to memory, meaning, and mechanical wonder.
Susan’s path to jewelry was anything but traditional. A writer with roots in the film and tech industries, she found her way to design while attending the American Film Institute. What began as a playful foray into wire wrapping and beading transformed into a career-long pursuit of creating heirlooms that channel symbolism, history, and self-expression.
“My mum says I was born wearing jewelry,” Susan says. “It’s always been a part of me.” Today, she is best known for ‘gem mechanics,’ comprising engaging details that focus on kinetic, interactive elements embedded in many of her pieces rendered in 18k gold. From clasps that click shut with a satisfying lock to spinning orbs that conceal secret messages, her designs encourage engagement and reflection. Crediting her dad with encouraging her to “think outside the box,” Susan crafts jewelry that rewards its wearer with little secrets.
The designer is “very much inspired by historical jewelry,” with her strongest influences being the jewelry from the Georgian and Victorian eras and the designers and designs from the 1970s. Her work is also defined by a fascination with time. Her DNA Puzzle Initials, for instance, symbolize past, present, and future through three interlocking forms. Her Rollin’ the Dice pendant blends enamel, diamonds, and vintage spinner inspiration to playfully divine life’s great questions — Oui, Non, or perhaps… C’est Fou. Antique and vintage elements are at the core of her design, where shark tooth fossils, 19th-century compasses, and antique diamonds are all recontextualized into modern talismans. These elements, she observes, already carry so much history. For Susan, it’s about honoring their past and allowing them to thrive anew. Her Direction and Strength Arrow Pendant moves forward only “when one of my amazing dealers finds the right stones for me.”
Her pieces are manufactured in Los Angeles, but their soul spans centuries. Many are infused with secret codes: Morse code, acrostic gemstones, or Victorian-era allusions. One standout, the Love & Strength = Victory Ring, is a ring that uses Morse code diamonds to spell out V for Victory. “It was designed to honor my family members who fought in WWII,” she adds.
For Susan, the pieces she creates at Circa 1700 aren’t just wearable. They are objects meant to be cherished, decoded, and passed down.
