Born in upstate New York, Heather Kraty studied design at NYC's Fashion Institute of Technology, where she began her love affair with jewelry. After graduating she fled the noise of the city and found her way to the Caribbean Island of St. Martin where she lived on a catamaran, dove for buried treasure & sold her jewelry on the beach.

Restless for new challenges, she studied silver in Mexico, surfing in Hawaii and French in Paris before returning to the States. Miami Beach was on the verge of being reborn and had everything she loved...the excitement of the city and the warmth of the beach. There she went onto conceptualize & own Bash nightclub with actor Sean Penn and Simply Red's singer Mick Hucknell. This was the predecessor to the original Nikki Beach in Miami which now has locations worldwide.

Settling down and moving west life took a quieter turn...Today she lives in Huntington Beach, California but now sells her jewelry in galleries and boutiques across North America instead of on the beach.

Never at a loss for inspiration..."I find beauty in things that I loved as a child..., the sun on my back, the sand in my toes, trees and the stars, the flowers along the garden path, puppy dogs and hearts..."

Each romantic creation is hand carved with poetic etchings and words of inspiration before being cast in sterling or 14k gold using the age-old technique of lost wax casting. Island Cowgirl strives to create not just jewelry but "wear forever" keepsakes.

Influenced by her years in the islands and her home out west Heather now devotes her days to creating beauty.