Monica Rich Kosann, creative director and founder of Monica Rich Kosann Fine Jewelry, started creating 18-karat gold and sterling silver lockets, charm bracelets and a broad collection of other fine jewelry because of her belief that every woman has a story to tell.

Monica began her career as a fine art black-and-white portrait photographer; to this day, she continues creates portraits using film and darkroom. The personal nature of her portraits inspired her interest in jewelry, and for years, Monica and her husband scoured flea markets for vintage lockets to hold family photographs. As demand increased, she developed her own collection of

lockets, to hold special photographs and personal messages. Today her brand-name jewelry, image cases and frames are sold in over 100 stores; in 2008, she opened her own in-store boutique at Bergdorf Goodman.

2010 was a big year for Monica: Her book, Living With What You Love, was published by Clarkson Potter. She was awarded the Rising Star Award for Fine Jewelry by Fashion Group International, and she became a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.