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About the Brand

Denise Cox Designs offers a beautiful and relatable way to acknowledge and express inner boldness through heirloom-quality fine jewelry designs. Denise’s tenacity in overcoming adversity has inspired her designs, which capture the spirit of a woman who can flourish in spite of life’s challenges. Denise shares her own joys and challenges to help you connect to and embody your purpose while promoting unity and inspiring harmony.

Denise leveraged her background in art and graphic design to start designing fine jewelry pieces in the early 2000s. Her work was soon discovered by the curator of The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY), Phyllis Magidson, who followed the evolution of Denise’s work. Denise passionately expanded her breadth as a fine jewelry designer, and Phyllis was eventually instrumental in bringing Denise’s signature Purpose Collection into the gift shop at the Museum of the City of New York, marking her official retail debut.

During an overwhelming period of personal loss and grief, Denise designed the Harmony collection, which expresses the idea that in every loss there’s a gift, and in every death there’s a new birth. Each collection offers special meaning to women like you who not only love the designs but also connect deeply to Denise’s experiences and stories.

Our Values
Wearing distinct and beautiful jewelry is a powerful personal statement that commands attention. It’s also one of the easiest ways for a woman to feel special every day and to shower herself with love and kindness. We believe that every woman has the right to be herself and to express her individuality, and our jewelry empowers women to do that. 

Design & Craftsmanship
Denise’s visioning process begins from within. Each design is backed by a personal story, infusing the finished jewelry piece with meaning and depth. She sketches each design, which then gets brought to life through 3D modeling and sampling. Not only does she review the samples for their beauty, but she also tests their comfort, weight, and quality. By establishing close relationships with reputable suppliers and manufacturers, Denise is able to ensure that her customers get heirloom-quality pieces that are crafted to last.
Denise invests extraordinary effort to ensure that her pieces are crafted in the tradition of the great fine jewelry houses; each mold is hand-made by an accomplished artisan, and stones are set with precision and care. Every detail has been considered, including functionality and durability, so that it can be worn comfortably for many years to come.
Denise Cox Designs reflect the artist’s craft, but ultimately compliment the personal style of the wearer. Each piece has a history, and tells a story. Once chosen, once worn, the story is yours…

Letter from Denise

I started designing fine jewelry in my early 30s, but the journey to launch my jewelry brand begins much earlier than that. Relationships are the most important thing in my life, and every person who has touched my soul is captured in each one of my designs.

My grandmother Maxine embodied elegance, class, and attention to detail. She would say, “Denise, always put your best self forward, put together…” And she led by example – sitting composed with her jewelry, shoes, hat, and bag all matching.” She taught me poise and inspired my love for fashion and design. Thanks in part to her guidance, I won second place in Ms. Teen Pennsylvania, began modeling in New York City at 17.

I graduated from Drexel University with a degree in the cutting-edge field of Online Graphic Design and Marketing, high honors. My dad taught me about working hard with your head down to achieve both big and small goals. He also reminded me to “Always say and do what you mean”, which taught me authenticity.

With my confidence and highly-sought-after background in graphic design, I was hired by Disney and Warner Brothers and then promoted to Art Director at age 23. My life was on a fast-track to success – until the accident happened.

My friend and I had stopped to help a man who had been injured in a DUI wreck. The police had already arrived at the scene, but an unlucky chain of events resulted in me getting struck in the face by another car. I nearly died and required facial reconstruction surgery. It took me three months to recover and then seven more months to restart my life, which was permanently altered.  

Three years later, I met Spencer Cox. Our love affair was legendary. We built and lost and rebuilt businesses. We traveled the world. We adopted our daughter, Marta, and brought home Heather, his daughter from a previous relationship. His business finally became an explosive success, and we were able to realize dreams from long before. We were always one another’s “rock,” raising two girls with attachment issues. Though our marriage was not always easy, we were always able to come out the other side.  

In October 2018, my mother bravely passed away after fighting with unspeakable grace her nine-year battle with lung cancer. My mom Micki taught me strength and how to be a strong woman. Through her fight, she taught me the power of forgiveness and standing my own ground. After a lifetime spent serving everyone and putting others before myself, my mother showed me I must love myself first and to love being alone with myself. These were difficult lessons.  

One of the greatest gifts of my life was to be a caregiver to my mom. Sitting with her in silence, we each knew what the other was thinking. Right before she took her last breath, she looked heaven-ward and said “I love you, I love you, I love you,” looking into the divine light.

Spencer was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 15 days before my mother passed. To this day, I still can’t believe it. Thirteen short months later, on November 24, 2019, my beloved Spencer passed too.

He taught me so much about love, hard work, tenacity, and self confidence. We learned, explored, and risked so much together that it’s hard to let go of that amazing life, a life I loved and still love to much. An incredible life… I only wish he was with me to enjoy it now.  

In the moments when I miss him so much, I’m thankful for all of our hard times. They made us stronger together. As we grew into the people we are, so did our respect and love.

In the year after Spencer’s death, my Harmony line was born. In every loss there’s a gift, and in every death there’s a new birth. We’re born out of every experience, every person, and every circumstance, and we’re given a new beginning. 

Don’t hesitate to meet your new beginnings. Our loves and our lessons are alive inside of us, and our purpose is always calling us forward. Our gift is to answer it.