Every piece I design starts with the intention of a feeling.

Something I want to carry with me, something I want to remember. This spring, I've been thinking about the beauty that lives close to home: flowers that bloom in our gardens, flavors that take us back to childhood, and symbols that have meant something to people for hundreds of years. 

These enamel pins are an extension of that feeling. Small, wearable, yet deeply intentional. Here's the story behind each one.

 

01. Camellia Flower Enamel Pin

Available in: Rose Petal · Scarlet Berry

The Camellia is one of those flowers that stops you. Full, layered, almost impossibly perfect - it blooms in the cooler months when most flowers have given up. There's a quiet defiance in that.

Here in New Orleans, the Camellia holds its own kind of beloved status. Camellia Brand has been a Louisiana kitchen staple for generations - their red kidney beans are as much a part of a Monday red beans and rice pot as the Holy Trinity itself. And if you grew up here, there's a good chance the Camellia Grill on St. Charles Ave holds a memory or two. I used to go there in high school, just off Carrollton Ave - those stools at the counter, the omelettes, the charm of the place. The camellia, in my mind, has always been a little bit glamorous and a little bit soulful. This pin captures both.

Rose Petal Pink is soft and shimmery - the kind of pink that feels like a first bloom. 

Scarlet Berry Red is deep and rich, full of confidence. Wear one; collect both.

 

02. White Magnolia Flower Enamel Pin

The Magnolia needs no introduction in the South, but her history is deeper than most people realize.

In 1900, schoolchildren across Mississippi voted for the Southern Magnolia as their state flower - it won by a landslide over the cotton blossom. Louisiana adopted it as its state flower that same year. Mississippi is still called "The Magnolia State" in its honor, and the flower appears on their commemorative quarter. It's the official flower of two states, and its presence is felt far beyond - lining the avenues of old Southern towns, perfuming the summer air, appearing in front yards from Virginia to Texas.

In Victorian floriography, the magnolia was associated with "magnificence" - a fitting sentiment for a flower that can bloom as large as a dinner plate. Symbolically, she represents dignity, nobility, and endurance. The phrase "steel magnolia" - made famous by the beloved 1989 Louisiana film - says it best: beauty on the surface, iron will underneath.

This pin captures the Magnolia in opalescent white glitter with deep green leaves and gold outlines. She's generous in size, luminous, and deeply rooted.

Just like the women who wear her.

03. Iris in Bloom Flower Enamel Pin

The Iris might be the most storied flower in Western history. And if you know New Orleans, you already know her by another name.

The mythology goes even deeper. In Ancient Greece, Iris was the goddess of the rainbow, divine messenger between the heavens and the mortal world. The flower that carries her name was named for its extraordinary range of colors, spanning nearly every shade the rainbow offers. Purple irises were planted over the graves of women so the goddess could find them and guide their souls safely to the other side.

In Victorian floriography, the iris carried the single meaning: "Message." A direct nod to her divine origins as the goddess who carried word between worlds.

This pin is stunning: deeply detailed, rich in layered purple and violet with gold outlines and a soft green stem. She's larger than you'd expect, and more beautiful up close. 

A message worth wearing.

04. Please Return to New Orleans Enamel Pin

New color option: Pearl Green 

Some places just get into your blood. New Orleans is one of them. Whether you were born here, fell in love here, or simply passed through and left a piece of your heart behind — this pin is for you. 

The "Please Return to New Orleans" collection was born from a heartfelt narrative of resilience and remembrance. As a local artist profoundly impacted by the events surrounding Katrina, I created this piece as a poignant emblem, a call to all who hold New Orleans dear. This design speaks not only to our beloved locals, once displaced and yearning for the comfort of home, but also to the visitors and volunteers whose presence breathed new life into our city’s recovery.

Wear it on a jacket, a bag, a lanyard. Let it start a conversation. Because it always does.

05. Sweet Sno-Ball Enamel Pin

Available in: Red Kiss · Purple Haze · Rainbow Dreams · Sugar Pink · Cool Blue   

If you know, you know. A New Orleans sno-ball is not a snow cone. It's finely shaved ice,  like silk, soaked in housemade syrup and handed to you in a little cup, or in some cases, a Chinese take-out-box. It's the taste of a summer afternoon, of standing in line barefoot, of being a kid in a city that always feels a little bit magical.

Each Sweet Sno-Ball pin is a glitter-filled love letter to that feeling. Cool Blue for the dreamers, Red Kiss for the bold, Sugar Pink for the romantics, Purple Haze for the ones who always order something unexpected, and Rainbow Dreams for the ones who can never just pick one.

These are joy, collectible. Pin them together. Pin them alone. Add them to your charm collection and let them remind you of something sweet.

How to Get Yours

These pins move fast. Our last collection sold out quickly, and we expect this spring drop to do the same. Here's exactly how availability works — so you don't miss out.

Top Tier Cali Krewe Early Access

Opens Thursday, March 26

Jade and Citrine Cali Krewe members are enjoying early access starting Thursday, March 26, through the exclusive Krewe Early Access section of the site. This is the first time these pins have ever been made available for sale, and as a top-tier membership benefit, our Jade and Citrine Krewe members get first access - before anyone else - at their own special member pricing. Log in to your account to shop the drop!

Interested in becoming a member? Learn more here.

April 1 Virtual Trunk Show on Facebook 

Open to the general public

[RSVP HERE →]

The pins make their public debut at our April 1 virtual trunk show on Facebook. Anyone can show up - no membership required - to claim a pin in real time. Cali Krewe members enjoy priority access by tier during the show, as always, meaning members' claims are prioritized before the general public. Mark your calendar and show up ready.

Shop Online

While Supplies Last

Any remaining inventory after the trunk show will be available for purchase in the Pins section of cristycali.com. [Shop the collection here→]

✦  A note on inventory: our last round of enamel pins sold out fast. If a pin is calling to you, don't wait on it!

About the Author & Designer

Cristy Cali

Hi! I'm Cristy — founder, designer, and the soul behind Cristy Cali Jewelry. I grew up in my family's French Quarter jewelry business before leaving to forge my own creative path in 2012. Since then, I've trained through apprenticeships in Thailand and Mexico, sourced gemstones and Mayan Jade directly from Guatemala, and built a brand rooted in the belief that jewelry should mean something. Every piece I design carries a story - from the stone it's set in to the hands that shaped it. I'm based in New Orleans, and I'm endlessly inspired by the world beyond it.

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The Spring 2026 Enamel Pin Collection is available now at cristycali.com and through the private showroom. Follow @cristycalijewelry for new arrivals.