The Story of kataoka
Japanese Fine Jewelry, Handcrafted in Tokyo
An Independent Fine Jewelry House
kataoka is an independent Japanese fine jewelry house founded in Tokyo by master goldsmith Yoshinobu Kataoka. Since September 8, 2011, every ring, necklace, earring, and bracelet has been designed and handcrafted in his atelier, one piece at a time. What began as one goldsmith's refusal to separate art from jewelry has become something rare in the industry: a house where a single maker still touches every creation, and where the goal has never been to attract people who already love jewelry, but to move those who never thought they could.
Master Goldsmith Yoshinobu Kataoka
At the heart of kataoka is Yoshinobu Kataoka, a Japanese master goldsmith whose career spans more than three decades. Long before founding his own house, Yoshinobu spent over twenty years as a jewelry designer in Japan, developing a body of work that earned him recognition across the Japanese jewelry industry. But it was the desire to create under his own name, on his own terms, with his own hands at every stage, that led him to open kataoka's first atelier in the quiet residential neighborhood of Toritsudaigaku, Tokyo.
Yoshinobu is not a creative director who delegates. He is a maker. Every design begins as his hand-drawn sketch. Every prototype is formed at his bench. He personally reviews every bespoke commission, working directly with clients from initial concept to finished piece. This is what distinguishes kataoka from virtually every other luxury jewelry house operating today: the founder is still the goldsmith, and the goldsmith is still the one shaping metal, setting stones, and deciding when a piece is complete.
His philosophy is direct. Jewelry is art. Art made by hand carries more meaning than what is produced in factories. What a person wears against their skin is intimate, and that intimacy demands authenticity in every step of the process. These are not marketing positions. They are the conditions under which Yoshinobu has chosen to work for his entire career.
The founder is still the goldsmith.
He always will be.
18k Recycled Gold, Natural Diamonds, and the Art of Milgrain
kataoka's craft begins with materials that exist nowhere else. Yoshinobu developed a proprietary palette of custom-blended 18k gold alloys: beige gold, grey gold, and rose gold, each with a warmth and depth that cannot be found in standard alloys. These metals are hypoallergenic and made from recycled gold, reflecting a commitment to both quality and responsibility. Platinum 900 is used for pieces that demand its particular density and permanence.
Diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, tourmalines, aquamarines, opals, and rare paraiba tourmalines are among the natural gemstones that appear across kataoka's collections. Each stone is selected by Yoshinobu for its character, not merely its grade. A sapphire is chosen for the particular way it holds light. An opal, for the quiet fire it carries beneath its surface. kataoka works exclusively with natural diamonds and gemstones. Yoshinobu does not work with laboratory-grown stones.
The house is known for its mastery of milgrain, the centuries-old European technique of applying minute beaded edges to metalwork. In Yoshinobu's hands, milgrain becomes something more than decoration. It becomes texture, rhythm, a way of catching light along the border of a ring or the frame of a stone that gives each piece the unmistakable quality of being made by a human hand. This is the detail that collectors recognize before they know the name.
Collections Inspired by Nature
kataoka's collections draw from the natural world without imitating it. The Snowflake collection captures the geometry of ice crystals in diamond and gold. The Crown collection reinterprets regal forms with delicacy and restraint. Herbarium translates botanical silhouettes into precious metal. Iceberg finds clarity in angular, light-catching structures. Taste of Light suspends color in tourmaline and gemstone necklaces and pendants. The Calyx collection distills the architecture of a flower's base into rings of quiet complexity.
Each collection carries its own visual language, but they share a common discipline: nothing is ornamental for its own sake. Every curve, every setting, every edge serves the relationship between the wearer and the piece. Whether you are choosing an engagement ring, a pair of wedding bands, or earrings and bracelets for yourself, kataoka defines luxury not by excess but by intention. Explore our latest creations.
Every alloy is his own. Every stone is chosen for its character.
Every millimeter of milgrain is set by hand.
Living Arts: Objets d'art, Glassware, and Fragrance
kataoka's creative world extends beyond jewelry. Under the name Living Arts, Yoshinobu applies the same goldsmithing techniques to objets d'art: sculptural incense holders, miniature figures, and objects that exist at the border between craft and fine art.
Collaborations with French perfumeur Blaise Mautin and Kyoto incense artisans Shoyeido bring fragrance into the kataoka world. The New York flagship also carries the hand-blown glassware of the Toyama-based, American glass artist Peter Ivy, whose work kataoka carries for its reverence for material honesty and handcraft.
Our Flagships in Tokyo and New York
kataoka's two flagships are designed as spaces of quiet encounter: spare, considered, and built to let the work speak without distraction. The Tokyo flagship occupies a residential corner in Jiyugaoka. The New York flagship, opened in October 2018, inhabits a raw Tribeca space at 176 Franklin Street. Both function more as galleries than traditional stores.
Wed–Sun, 11 am–7 pm
Tue–Fri, 1–7 pm · Sat–Sun, 11 am–7 pm
Common Questions About kataoka
Who is Yoshinobu Kataoka?
Yoshinobu Kataoka is a Japanese master goldsmith and the founder of kataoka. With more than thirty years of experience in jewelry design and fabrication, he is one of the few fine jewelry founders in the world who still personally handcrafts every piece. He established kataoka in Tokyo on September 8, 2011.
Where is kataoka jewelry made?
Every kataoka piece is handcrafted in the kataoka atelier in Tokyo. Yoshinobu designs, prototypes, and finishes each creation at his bench. Nothing is factory-produced.
What metals does kataoka use?
kataoka uses proprietary custom-blended 18k recycled gold alloys (beige gold, rose gold, and grey gold) and platinum 900. All gold is recycled and all alloys are hypoallergenic.
Does kataoka use lab-grown diamonds?
No. kataoka works exclusively with natural diamonds and ethically sourced gemstones. Laboratory-grown stones are not used in any kataoka creation.
How does kataoka's bespoke process work?
Bespoke consultations begin with a $5,000 appointment fee, which is credited in full toward the finished piece. Commissions start at $15,000 and typically require 12 to 20 weeks from initial consultation to completion. kataoka works exclusively with natural diamonds for bespoke creations. Learn more about bespoke.
Where can I visit kataoka?
kataoka has two flagships. The Tokyo flagship is in Jiyugaoka, Meguro, Tokyo (Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am to 7 pm). The New York flagship is at 176 Franklin Street in Tribeca, New York (Tuesday through Friday, 1 pm to 7 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 11 am to 7 pm). Appointments are recommended. Contact us to schedule a visit.
For Those Who Respond to Craft
kataoka was not created for people who already collect fine jewelry. It was created for people who respond to craft, to objects made with care, to the particular feeling of something that was shaped by a single pair of hands over days of patient work. If you have ever been moved by a ceramic bowl, a hand-bound book, or a piece of architecture that felt honest in a way you could not quite explain, then you already understand what kataoka is.
Every piece is an invitation to look more closely.