Our Team
We’re a small staff with big talent and lofty ideals. Our level of craftsmanship is unusual by today’s jewelry-making standards. We hand-fabricate every piece of Kate Maller Jewelry in our Denver studio. No outsourcing, no pre-made components, with the exception of delicate chains, and no casting or computer-generated designs. Every jump ring, clasp, and pair of ear wires is individually crafted in-house. Efficient? No, but hand craftsmanship imbues each piece with a unique character that makes the piece distinctly yours, and keeps us feeling good about our work.
In a world where automation reigns supreme, we celebrate and value the time-honored traditions inherent in the art and craft of hand-fabricated metalsmithing. Because no two pieces are exactly alike, you’ll see subtle nuances in replicated pieces from our collections. Most clients appreciate those nuances and, like us, value the craftsmanship.
Kate designs all of the KMJ collections, One Of A Kind, and custom pieces. She still works in the studio, and behind the bench on a weekly basis. Tess, our Studio Manager, leads our all-star team of metalsmiths who bring a wealth of experience, and a commitment to craft and quality to our tightknit studio. At our Denver store, you can meet Pamela, Graham, or Alysia to help you choose unique pieces to add to your collection. In Aspen you can visit with Olesea, Sydney, or Kathy, who can help you select unique, handcrafted jewelry + gifts for yourself or others. Lastly, we have Melissa, Kim, and Shannon in our office. As the Director of Retail Sales, Melissa manages all of our retail operations, offering retail client support and custom consultations. Kim strives to grow and support our wholesalers with orders, product information, training, and outreach by being our point person for all things KMJ wholesale. Shannon works behind the scenes as the Administrative Coordinator. We are a small but mighty and growing team, all dedicated to sustainable, quality craftsmanship + customer service.
Thank you for believing in us, and thank you for all of your support!
Tess Westenhaver
Studio Manager, Goldsmith
Tess graduated magna cum laude from MSU Denver in 2019 with a degree in Anthropology, and a minor in Biology. She discovered metalsmithing while in college. Instantly intrigued, she signed up for her first metalsmithing class, and has been experimenting with the craft ever since. Tess loves working with metal, and makes beautiful jewelry of her own. She says, 'working with metal has taught me patience and humility. I live for the process!'
A Denver native, Tess currently resides in the The Highlands neighborhood with her partner Nick, and 2 dogs Rosie and Henry.
Tess is a goldsmith, and our studio manager. She is a complete rockstar, and a cornerstone part of our business!
Kate Maller
Owner, Designer, Goldsmith
Kate is trained as a designer, and a metalsmith. Holding masters degrees in architecture and landscape architecture, she attributes her design sensibilities and passion for the environment to her formal training.
Kate began metalsmithing while in graduate school, and instantly fell in love with the tactile process of making jewelry. After working for several years in the field of architecture, Kate enrolled at Creative Side Jewelry Academy in Austin, TX, where she received more than 500 hours of full-time, hands-on training in the art and craft of metalsmithing.
Originally from Connecticut, Kate has lived in Colorado since 2007. She currently lives in Denver with her husband, Scott Maller, and their beloved Australian Shepherds, Takoda Winklematten Maller + Gwindel Bear Maller.
Melissa Bader
Director of Retail Sales
Melissa grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and had a passion for art at a young age. She graduated from University of Denver with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, and loved Colorado so much that she never left!
Her jewelry career began right after college, as she immediately fell in love with jewelry and all aspects of it. The first designer that she worked for taught her the ins and outs of jewelry production and design. Throughout her career she worked for John Atencio, and Todd Reed where she worked in production, merchandising, marketing, design, and sales. Melissa's experience in the jewelry industry is expansive, and she is a valued member of our management team.
Melissa has a passion for handmade jewelry that is artfully created, and thoroughly admires the process of making a piece of jewelry from start to finish.
When not at work her two teenage sons, and two dogs keep her quite busy! She loves skiing, painting, spinning + tennis.
Cameron Clark
Bench Jeweler, Goldsmith
Growing up in northern New Hampshire, in the heart of the White Mountains, and with a family of artisans naturally fostered a passion for creativity, and a love of adventure + wild places in equal measure. Cam graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in metalsmithing and jewelry design. Over the years he has worked with a number of jewelry teams from Vermont, to Massachusetts, and now Colorado.
KMJ's approach to jewelry making, and commitment to sustainable practices fit right in line with Cam's environmental views, and he is proud to be a part of furthering that vision. We are beyond thankful to have Cam's strong skill set, and experience in our studio.
Cam's love of the mountains and outdoors is a big part of what drew him to Colorado. He currently lives in Arvada with his wife, Marion, and their sweet dog Penny, who is also a wonderful and valued team member at our studio.
Jamie Hettinger
Bench Jeweler, Goldsmith
Jamie is a multifaceted creator/ maker who has been working in different areas of jewelry for 6 years. She graduated from CSU with a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Making.
Jamie believes jewelry is an important part of connection and self expression, which is why she is inspired by the dedication by Kate Maller Jewelry to reduce the impact on the environment, cultivate community support, and spend time to create nuanced pieces of art. Jamie says, 'Being able to be a part of the process, watching a piece grow and evolve into its own unique form, is why I love what I do.'
She was born and raised in Colorado and currently lives in Denver with her partner Fernando and her Pug/Pom Peanut.
Jamie is a highly skilled, thoughtful, and meticulous jeweler. Her attention to detail, and problem solving abilities are assets to our studio practice. We truly feel we won the lottery when we found Jamie, and value all she brings to our team.
Olesea Corcodel
Store Manager - Aspen
Olesea graduated from IRIM University in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, with a Bachelor in International Relations. In 2008 she came to Aspen, CO for an internship program, and absolutely fell in love with everything that it has to offer: beautiful blue skies, great skiing and hiking, fresh air, gorgeous mountains, and wonderful, friendly people.
She brings vast retail experience to our KMJ team. Olesea is highly talented, outgoing, service orientated, and generous. She possesses the ultimate can do attitude while taking on all tasks with positive energy and a smile. Her upbeat personality and engaging personal style enable her to interact effectively with everybody. She volunteers for the Shining Stars, a program for kids with cancer and Response, a local non profit organization, which provides help for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. She thrives on lifelong - learning, loves jewelry and everything art, and we are lucky to have her!
Pamela Friesen
Sales Associate - Denver
Pamela has lived in San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Seattle, but she has made Denver her home for the past 20 years. She earned a Bachelors of Arts in Fashion Buying and Merchandising from Seattle Pacific University.
Pamela has a sweet little buddy, Henry the pug, who loves to take long walks and go on adventures.
She has an innate design sensibility that we all appreciate. Her extensive background in interior design, and retail give her a unique eye. She loves jewelry, fashion and sustainability, and is thus a natural fit at KMJ! Pamela's upbeat personality, and calm demeanor are an asset to our team. She loves to help client's choose just the right piece, and enjoys seeing our regulars in the neighborhood who pop in to say hi, and see what's new - especially with their pups!