What is Cult Carat?
Cult Carat is a platform for the new generation of fine jewelry enthusiasts passionate about understanding and honoring the legacy of luxury. We bring insider knowledge and a modern, curated lens to the symbols and stories behind how we express who we are.
This is for those who believe fine jewelry is more than trend reports and red carpet recaps. For those who don’t just wear it, but participate in it.
On Substack, Cult Carat sparks conversation about the nuances of the fine jewelry world for a community of culturally curious thinkers who value authenticity as much as craftsmanship.
Who is Hazel Lika?
I’m an Atlanta-based creator behind Cult Carat, where I examine the culture, power, and identity of the fine jewelry industry. I have a Bachelors in Sociology from Kennesaw State University and formal gemological training through the Gemological Institute of America, and draw on both to explore the meaning behind luxury and why it matters.
My love for jewelry began at home, watching my mom (a Queens, NY girl through and through) layer 14k yellow gold beveled bangles and hoops. Looking back, that’s probably when I first understood adornment as identity, memory and status all at once, though I didn’t have the language for it until I started working as a consultant at a private jeweler before graduating college in 2021.
Consulting taught me a lot, but it wasn’t where I belonged. I was always more curious about why people wear what they wear, and what their pieces meant to them than I was about hitting sales targets. Also, working in a space with few voices that looked or sounded like mine left me feeling like an outsider to something I loved.
That disconnect eventually became Cult Carat.
It’s a place to question, interpret, and elevate the conversation around modern luxury, and a living archive of my own ongoing education. I build it for anyone who wants to challenge industry norms while still honoring the artistry that makes jewelry timeless. Through critique, storytelling, and education, I'm working toward a more thoughtful, self-aware future for the fine jewelry industry.
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