About Us

Everyone keeps asking me, who are you and why are you doing this?

That's a lie, absolutely no one has ever asked me this - but I am optimistic that someone might wonder that at some point and thus, here we are.

My name is Ariane, I live in Toronto, and I recently found myself in the serendipitous position of having a little extra free time in my life (a true luxury!). My first thought was that this was finally my moment to catch up on the entire Real Housewives universe. My husband gently suggested that perhaps I consider a hobby instead—and, annoyingly, he had a fair point.

In another lifetime, before my years in consulting, I worked in fine jewelry. I spent my days “shopping” for a living, which mostly meant calling brands for restocks, ordering from catalogues, and building spreadsheets to predict market trends and store revenue. Eventually, I left - not because I didn’t love jewelry, but because I couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling that I was contributing to an industry that felt insidious. Extreme wealth, obscene markups, luxury branding overshadowing quality, and, above all, a profound lack of transparency around sourcing.

For years I’ve been thinking about how to participate in this retail space in a way that doesn’t contribute to the environmental and human costs baked into so much of the fashion and jewelry world. I’ve come to the conclusion that vintage, antique, and second-hand pieces are the most ethical and sustainable way to engage. These pieces already exist; no new mining, no new manufacturing, no overseas shipping or refinement. Just beautifully made objects that can last lifetimes instead of seasons.

That’s why Kit focuses on vintage and estate jewelry. Each piece is inherently low-impact and genuinely well-made. By choosing vintage, we can keep these pieces (and their stories) in circulation while reducing demand for newly produced materials, which often carry significant ecological and human consequences.

And if you’ve ever dipped a toe into the traditional fine jewelry world, you’ll know it can be intimidating and, frankly, a bit pretentious. Prices are inflated, information is scarce, and transparency around labour and materials is usually shrouded in greenwashing. Meanwhile, the opposite end of the market is full of “affordable luxury” and “waterproof” brands using thin gold plating over base metals that tarnish or flake with regular wear; pieces destined for a landfill within a year or two.

I believe that vintage jewelry offers a better path. It’s well-crafted, built to last, fairly priced, and already part of our world. It supports a circular economy rather than unchecked consumption. And best of all, it comes with its own history: something you get to add to, wear, and one day pass on.

I hope you find something here that feels like it was always meant for you.