Our Story
Our
Story
Loren Hope’s Modern Appeal
Loren Hope’s
Modern Appeal
The Loren Hope brand has grown from a dream in North Carolina to a flagship store and headquarters in Newport, Rhode Island.
Within the Newport flagship store, collections are created that comprise everything from delicate pieces that can be worn every day to items made for a bride during the biggest celebration of her life. The collections are designed with the modern woman in mind—feminine with a radiating personality, and not afraid of a new perspective.
Serving as a bridge between nostalgia and modern design, the pieces in the Loren Hope collection also celebrate the artistry behind vintage jewelry while incorporating dynamic designs that speak to today’s consumer. The combination of sentimentality and forward-looking art celebrates women who have collected jewelry for generations while aiming for new audiences who prize originality and flair in their collections.
While every piece from the Loren Hope collection is profoundly different, each item shares ornate and whimsical elements that showcase the meticulous design and attention to craft behind each piece. The items in the collection complement each other in featured articles, on the website, and on the ears, wrists, and necks of the women who wear the pieces. Many of those who purchase Loren Hope items become brand ambassadors, serving as the biggest supporters and eagerly awaiting their first glimpse of next season’s designs. To many, the collections, season after season, represent the finest in the art-meets-jewelry world and the finest in affordable luxury.
Loren Hope jewelry has been featured in Vogue, ELLE, InStyle, Real Simple, The Zoe Report, Glitter Guide, SELF, Southern Living, Redbook, Refinery 29, and other national publications.
About Loren Barham
Inspired by history and moved by artful and meticulous design, Loren Barham founded Loren Hope in 2005 with the goal of reconnecting the modern-day jewelry industry with the vintage jewels that excited her as a child.
About
Loren
Barham
Inspired by history and moved by artful and meticulous design, Loren Barham founded Loren Hope in 2005 with the goal of reconnecting the modern-day jewelry industry with the vintage jewels that excited her as a child.
Born in North Carolina, she has very clear memories of opening jewelry boxes in her grandmother’s thrift shop and carefully examining the treasures inside.
Loren’s fascination with color and the artistic lens through which she saw the world was evident when she was little more than a toddler. It was something her mother and grandmother encouraged. She attended art classes in school and with private tutors, building her talents and cultivating her artistry. Loren enrolled in East Carolina University, where she further studied fine arts and fell even deeper in love with the crossroads of history and art. While her drawing and painting skills advanced, her fascination with costume jewelry burned steadily inside her. She took classes in metalsmithing and eventually, jewelry design.
Born in North Carolina, she has very clear memories of opening jewelry boxes in her grandmother’s thrift shop and carefully examining the treasures inside.
Loren’s fascination with color and the artistic lens through which she saw the world was evident when she was little more than a toddler. It was something her mother and grandmother encouraged. She attended art classes in school and with private tutors, building her talents and cultivating her artistry. Loren enrolled in East Carolina University, where she further studied fine arts and fell even deeper in love with the crossroads of history and art. While her drawing and painting skills advanced, her fascination with costume jewelry burned steadily inside her. She took classes in metalsmithing and eventually, jewelry design.
Business Beginnings
In 2005, Loren moved to England with her husband Aaron Barham. While there, her appreciation for the craft of metalsmithing took hold and resulted in the first jewelry creations under the Loren Hope Designs brand. By the time she left the U.K. to return to the United States she was selling her creations in three shops. “I knew in my heart I was on to something that made me and other people happy. I was totally focused on selling as much jewelry as I could so I could continue making more.”
As she continued her jewelry design business in her home state of North Carolina, she noticed something interesting, whenever she searched online for suppliers and artisans skilled in the art of jewelry making, Rhode Island kept popping up. As she was soon to learn, Rhode Island was the epicenter of jewelry manufacturing for decades, with Providence claiming the title of “Jewelry Capital of the World” starting in the mid-1800s.
Business Beginnings
In 2005, Loren moved to England with her husband Aaron Barham. While there, her appreciation for the craft of metalsmithing took hold and resulted in the first jewelry creations under the Loren Hope Designs brand. By the time she left the U.K. to return to the United States she was selling her creations in three shops. “I knew in my heart I was on to something that made me and other people happy. I was totally focused on selling as much jewelry as I could so I could continue making more.”
As she continued her jewelry design business in her home state of North Carolina, she noticed something interesting, whenever she searched online for suppliers and artisans skilled in the art of jewelry making, Rhode Island kept popping up. As she was soon to learn, Rhode Island was the epicenter of jewelry manufacturing for decades, with Providence claiming the title of “Jewelry Capital of the World” starting in the mid-1800s.
Business Beginnings
In 2005, Loren moved to England with her husband Aaron Barham. While there, her appreciation for the craft of metalsmithing took hold and resulted in the first jewelry creations under the Loren Hope Designs brand. By the time she left the U.K. to return to the United States she was selling her creations in three shops. “I knew in my heart I was on to something that made me and other people happy. I was totally focused on selling as much jewelry as I could so I could continue making more.”
As she continued her jewelry design business in her home state of North Carolina, she noticed something interesting, whenever she searched online for suppliers and artisans skilled in the art of jewelry making, Rhode Island kept popping up. As she was soon to learn, Rhode Island was the epicenter of jewelry manufacturing for decades, with Providence claiming the title of “Jewelry Capital of the World” starting in the mid-1800s.
Past as Prologue
Loren Hope breathes new life back into one of the most influential industries from Rhode Island’s past—its history as a center of jewelry manufacture. The state continues to be a repository of skilled craftspeople and quality materials. In January 2013, she and her husband drove to the Ocean State to meet personally with her network of suppliers. Less than a month later, they’d decided to relocate their business to Rhode Island. “Being close to people I was doing business with was part of our decision, sure,” she said. “But I also felt the pull of history. I wanted to be part of a reawakening of old factories and workshops that were built for making jewelry. There is so much of value here—not just raw materials, but generations of talent and experience and history. How could I not want to be close to that every single day?”
Its history holds significance for the jewelry community worldwide; Rhode Island was known as the jewelry capital of the world and the largest manufacturer of costume jewelry for years. The company’s connection to Rhode Island’s past is more than sentimental—it is carried in the quality and artistry of every piece produced—reflecting hours of skilled craftsmanship from jewelry makers, gem finders, metalworkers, jewelry polishers, and artisans. At a time when so many jewelry companies have brought their manufacturing to other countries, Loren and Aaron are committed to keeping that skill set alive and growing in America and wherever possible, Rhode Island. They work with family-owned businesses throughout Rhode Island to ensure that the pieces are of the highest quality.
Its history holds significance for the jewelry community worldwide; Rhode Island was known as the jewelry capital of the world and the largest manufacturer of costume jewelry for years. The company’s connection to Rhode Island’s past is more than sentimental—it is carried in the quality and artistry of every piece produced—reflecting hours of skilled craftsmanship from jewelry makers, gem finders, metalworkers, jewelry polishers, and artisans. At a time when so many jewelry companies have brought their manufacturing to other countries, Loren and Aaron are committed to keeping that skill set alive and growing in America and wherever possible, Rhode Island. They work with family-owned businesses throughout Rhode Island to ensure that the pieces are of the highest quality.
Past as Prologue
Loren Hope breathes new life back into one of the most influential industries from Rhode Island’s past—its history as a center of jewelry manufacture. The state continues to be a repository of skilled craftspeople and quality materials. In January 2013, she and her husband drove to the Ocean State to meet personally with her network of suppliers. Less than a month later, they’d decided to relocate their business to Rhode Island. “Being close to people I was doing business with was part of our decision, sure,” she said. “But I also felt the pull of history. I wanted to be part of a reawakening of old factories and workshops that were built for making jewelry. There is so much of value here—not just raw materials, but generations of talent and experience and history. How could I not want to be close to that every single day?”
Loren Hope breathes new life back into one of the most influential industries from Rhode Island’s past—its history as a center of jewelry manufacture. The state continues to be a repository of skilled craftspeople and quality materials. In January 2013, she and her husband drove to the Ocean State to meet personally with her network of suppliers. Less than a month later, they’d decided to relocate their business to Rhode Island. “Being close to people I was doing business with was part of our decision, sure,” she said. “But I also felt the pull of history. I wanted to be part of a reawakening of old factories and workshops that were built for making jewelry. There is so much of value here—not just raw materials, but generations of talent and experience and history. How could I not want to be close to that every single day?”
