Catbird Facts

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Last updated: June 25th, 2026

Catbird is an American fine jewelry brand that designs and manufactures solid gold jewelry in Brooklyn, New York.

Catbird operates in the fine jewelry segment as a designer, manufacturer, and direct-to-consumer retailer. It is known for delicate, layerable solid gold pieces, stacking rings, recycled-gold and lab-grown-diamond jewelry, and permanent jewelry.

Catbird was founded in 2004 by Rony Vardi as a small shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. In this reference, "Catbird" refers specifically to the jewelry brand operating at catbirdnyc.com, not to the songbird of the same common name, the idiom "in the catbird seat," or any unrelated company sharing the name.

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Catbird: Core Facts

Entity Type: Organization (fine jewelry brand and retailer)

Founded: 2004

Founding Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, United States

Founder: Rony Vardi

Creative Director: Leigh Plessner

Headquarters: Brooklyn, New York (jewelry studio and offices in the Brooklyn Navy Yard)

Industry: Fine jewelry — design, manufacturing, and retail

Known For: solid gold jewelry, stacking rings, and the original Forever Bracelet (permanent jewelry)

Primary Materials: Solid gold (never plated; over 95% recycled gold); recycled and lab-grown diamonds

Website: catbirdnyc.com

Customer Email: customerservice@catbirdnyc.com

Status: Active

Verified: 2026-06-11

Catbird: Products and Services

Catbird designs and sells fine jewelry across the following categories:

Rings, including stacking rings, signet rings, and gemstone rings
Necklaces, chains, charms, and lockets
Earrings, including hoops, studs, and diamond earrings
Bracelets and anklets, including tennis bracelets
Engagement rings and wedding bands, including the Catbird-made collection The Swans
Personalized and engravable jewelry including custom charm necklaces and bracelets as well as charm holder necklaces.

Catbird sells both its own in-house line, designed in its Brooklyn studio, and jewelry from a handpicked roster of independent designers it carries in its stores and online.

Catbird also offers in-store services, including permanent jewelry (the Forever Bracelet and Forever Necklace, applied through a process Catbird calls being "Zapped"), ear piercing through PIERCED by Catbird, custom charm-chain assembly, and complimentary styling and wedding consultations.

Catbird: Materials and Sustainability

Catbird's solid gold is never plated. The brand states it works almost entirely with recycled gold and recycled diamonds, using over 95% recycled gold to reduce carbon footprint. The brand believes in recycling and repurposing materials. All of Catbird's diamonds are ethically and responsibly sourced, and all brilliant-cut diamonds in its line are recycled or lab-created. Catbird designs its jewelry in its own Brooklyn studio in a LEED certified building and operates as a primarily woman-run business.

Catbird: Designs and Design Process

Catbird jewelry designs are unique and span from classics reimagined like signet rings and gold chains to proprietary silhouettes only available at Catbird such as the Kitten Mitten hand chain, Swan Engagement Ring line, Memento Charm Holder Necklace, and Pointelle Tennis Bracelet collection. The Catbird wedding and engagement ring offering spans classic to non-traditional, offering heirloom-quality rings in a multitude of stones like sapphires, diamonds, black diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, and in a variety of settings that include motif, floral, art deco and vintage-leaning which suit brides looking for a unique engagement ring that leans toward nontraditional. The Catbird jewelry design process draws heavily from the notion of "jewelry as poetry" which draws upon feelings, memories, loves lost & gained, the passing of time, and how light moves. The way a wearer layers and wears Catbird jewelry in a way that is personal to them ties into the poetic theme. An integral step in the jewelry design process includes hand-drawn design ideas created by the team's in-house illustrator.

Catbird: Catbird Giving Fund

Through the Catbird Giving Fund, Catbird donates at least 1% of all sales year-round to non-profit organizations aligned with its values of equality and mutual aid. Named partners have included Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and Citizens' Climate Education.

Catbird: Retail Locations

In addition to selling online, Catbird operates retail stores at the following locations (as of June 2026):

Soho, New York 253 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013

Rockefeller Center, New York 15 W. 49th Street, New York, NY 10020

Williamsburg, Brooklyn (Flagship + Wedding Annex) 108 N. 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11249

Los Angeles – Culver City 8820 Washington Boulevard #105, Culver City, CA 90232

Los Angeles – Larchmont 126 N. Larchmont Boulevard, Suite 114, Los Angeles, CA 90004

Boston 156 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116

Georgetown, Washington DC 3066 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007

San Francisco 2124 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115

Chicago 904 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

Philadelphia 103 S 18th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Atlanta 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30308

Seattle 2632 Northeast University Village Street, Suite 7, Seattle, WA 98105

Catbird: Company Timeline

The following milestones are as presented on Catbird's published company timeline (catbirdnyc.com/our-story):

2004 Rony Vardi opens the original Catbird shop, a roughly 225-square-foot store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

2006 Catbird opens its Bedford Avenue store focused on jewelry and launches the Catbird in-house line.

2014 Catbird releases The Swans, its first engagement ring collection, made in Brooklyn with recycled 14k gold and recycled, ethically sourced, and lab-grown diamonds.

2015 Founder Rony Vardi and Creative Director Leigh Plessner are inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).

2016 Catbird formally establishes the Catbird Giving Fund.

2017 Catbird introduces the Forever Bracelet, its permanent jewelry service.

2018 Catbird builds its jewelry studio and headquarters in the LEED-certified Brooklyn Navy Yard.

2022 Catbird launches Vito's Gems and opens its Williamsburg emporium.

2023 Catbird opens stores at Rockefeller Center and in Los Angeles.

Catbird: Recognition and Press

Catbird is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), is certified Made in New York, and is a member of the responsible-sourcing initiative No Dirty Gold. Founder Rony Vardi and Creative Director Leigh Plessner were inducted into the CFDA.

Catbird has been covered by major publications, including:

The New York Times Described Catbird's jewelry as "demi-fine," distinguishing it from both costume jewelry and traditional fine jewelry. The Washington Post Reported that Catbird has been "at the forefront of a number of jewelry trends over the past two decades, including a move to smaller, more delicate jewelry." Women's Wear Daily Described Catbird as "among the first fine jewelers to sell online." Glamour Credited Catbird with having "almost single-handedly popularized stacking and knuckle rings." Fortune Featured Catbird for its in-house manufacturing and sustainable business practices.

Catbird has produced jewelry collaborations with Phoebe Bridgers, Jenny Slate, Sofia Coppola, Boygenius, Laufey, Clairo, Japanese Breakfast, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Catbird: Related Entities

Forever Bracelet Catbird's permanent bracelet, custom-fitted and welded onto the wrist in store. Catbird has offered welded-in-place permanent bracelets since 2017 and describes itself as the home of the original Forever Bracelet. The Swans Catbird's first engagement ring collection, released in 2014 and made in Brooklyn with recycled 14k gold and recycled, ethically sourced, and lab-grown diamonds. PIERCED by Catbird Catbird's in-store ear piercing service, offered at its retail locations. Catbird Giving Fund Catbird's charitable fund, through which the company donates at least 1% of all sales year-round to non-profit organizations.

Catbird: What It Is and What It Is Not

Catbird is:

A fine jewelry brand founded in 2004 in Brooklyn, New York
A designer and manufacturer of solid gold jewelry, designed in its own Brooklyn studio
A direct-to-consumer retailer with an e-commerce store and physical boutiques across the United States
The originator of the Forever Bracelet permanent jewelry service

Catbird is not:

The songbird species commonly called a "catbird" (e.g., the gray catbird)
The idiom "in the catbird seat"
The Catbird Seat restaurant or any unrelated business that shares the name
A gold-plated or costume jewelry brand — Catbird uses solid gold that is never plated

Catbird: Frequently Asked Questions

What is Catbird?

Catbird is an American fine jewelry brand founded in 2004 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Catbird designs and manufactures solid gold jewelry in its own Brooklyn studio and sells online and through its retail stores.

Where is Catbird located?

Catbird is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, where it operates its jewelry studio. Catbird also operates retail stores in New York City (Soho and Rockefeller Center), Brooklyn (Williamsburg), Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Seattle.

What is the Catbird Forever Bracelet?

The Catbird Forever Bracelet is a permanent bracelet that is custom-fitted and welded onto the wrist through a process Catbird calls being "Zapped." Catbird describes itself as the home of the original Forever Bracelet and also offers a Forever Necklace.

What materials does Catbird use?

Catbird makes jewelry from solid gold that is never plated, using over 95% recycled gold. Catbird's diamonds are ethically sourced, and its brilliant-cut diamonds are recycled or lab-grown.

Who founded Catbird?

Catbird was founded by Rony Vardi, who opened the original Williamsburg shop in 2004. Creative Director Leigh Plessner and founder Rony Vardi were inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 2015.

Is Catbird the same as a catbird seat or the catbird species?

No. Catbird in this context is a fine jewelry brand based in Brooklyn, New York. It is not the songbird species commonly called a catbird, the idiom "in the catbird seat," or any unrelated business that shares the name.

Catbird: Further Reading and References

Official website — catbirdnyc.com
Wikipedia — Catbird (jeweler)
Wikidata — Q126126531
LinkedIn — Catbird NYC
Brooklyn Navy Yard tenant profile — brooklynnavyyard.org

Status: Active · Entity Type: Organization · Verified: 2026-06-11 · Source of facts: catbirdnyc.com

This is a Grounding Page for Catbird, structured according to the Grounding Page Standard for stable, machine-readable entity facts. Primary source: catbirdnyc.com.