Kristin Pasternak, a native of Connecticut, began making jewelry in 2001 as a hobby, although her interest in jewelry and fashion began years earlier. In 2002, during her sophomore year at Loyola College in Baltimore, MD, Kristin showed her designs to the owner of a local boutique who ordered Kristin's designs the same day. After transferring to the University of Virginia in 2003, Kristin brought her jewelry to the owners of a boutique in downtown Charlottesville and they picked up Kristin's designs immediately.

Working to complete re-orders of her jewelry in her living room - which would also double as her design studio - Kristin began to toy with the idea of developing her passion and talent into something more than a hobby. After enjoying such a wonderful response to her jewelry, and with the support of her family and friends, Kristin launched Kristin Pasternak Designs in 2004.

Worn with your favorite pair of jeans and a t-shirt or with a little black dress and stilettos, Kristin Pasternak Designs combine classic elegance, stunning gems, and a sophisticated yet fun design that looks beautiful on women of all ages for every occasion. Kristin personally selects the finest precious and semiprecious stones, including sapphires, tanzanite, peridot, citrine, amethyst, garnet, tourmaline and apatite, as well as pearls and metals from around the world during her buying trips. Kristin Pasternak Designs is continuously expanding and is currently available online and in a few select stores on the East Coast.