Mary Elizabeth "Mary Liz" McDowell Verma began sketching and creating art in all mediums at a young age. Her strong fashion sense and experience in textile and apparel design led her to New York City in 2009. 

She spent the next five years working for David Yurman, lending her talents and energy to both product development and design for the Signature DY Couture Collection. It is in this role where she discovered her passion for colored stones and fine jewelry. 

In December 2015, she graduated from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in Carlsbad, CA earning degrees in Jewelry Design and Technology (JDT) and as a Graduate Gemologist (GG).

After graduation, Mary Liz went on to find further inspiration through traveling, gaining unique perspectives and making countless connections in the jewelry industry. Upon returning from her travels, she moved to her hometown in Charlotte, NC, to build her business and to be a freelance CAD jewelry designer.

Following her wedding, she and her husband lived in India. In 2020 they began splitting their time between two countries and Mary Liz is currently designing from her Charlotte studio using the 21st century techniques of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and 3D Printing.