About Us

The KAKURU jewelry store and workshop opened in central Athens in 2017 by the designer Elina Kakourou.

Her collections pay homage to the natural beauty of her birthplace, the Peloponnese, and to the expression of human emotions. Elina designs distinctive jewelry that combines elegance and simplicity. Ideas are molded with natural materials from Greece –a fusion of olive wood, semi-precious stones and metal– to form and inform her collections. Each collection is unique, introducing different emotions and aspirations.

Every piece is handmade in our workshop by the designer herself along with the team who share her passion for creation and sense of style.

Elina - Designer, Artisan

Elina was born and brought up in Sparti, in the Peloponnese. Her contact with nature, from the early days of her life, shaped her as a person. She had always loved to make things with her hands, but when the time came to choose her course of studies, she initially opted for economics in the UK.

(when she met Fanio)

While in the UK - studying economics, she met people who encouraged her to go into jewelry and establish a business. The draw of the hands-on dimension of designing and making jewelry, however, was strong, and led her to taking a course in jewelry design in the UK.

Upon returning to Greece, she worked in art exhibitions, here she also met Fanio (our Store Manager).

Fanio - Store Manager

Fanio worked as a preschool teacher in London, and pursued further studies in museum education, combining her love for children with her passion for art. Upon returning to Greece, she worked in the field of private art collections and exhibition organization. She had always been interested in fashion, and particularly in discovering unique pieces of jewelry, clothing and accessories. Over the years, this interest grew and culminated in her joining KAKURU, bringing her varied experience into the creative realm of jewelry
and coordinating our team in her own, inimitable way.

(when she met Eleni)

She spent some time working for the family business, but soon decided she wanted to continue her studies in jewelry, ultimately graduating from the ΜΟΚUME Art School in 2014.

At the same time, she found employment at a jewelry workshop, where she met Eleni (our Artisan Jeweler).

Eleni - Artisan

Eleni’s love for music, movement, theater and children led her to music motor education and theater productions for children. Her handmade creations guided her into the realm of jewelry; she undertook studies at the MOKUME Art School in Athens, and gained hands-on experience in silver- and gold-smithing workshops. At KAKURU, Eleni is the one who organizes our workshop and supports our jewelry production line. She has been with us right from the start, from the inception of the idea all the way to the present day!

(when she met Nikos)

That was also where she got to know Nikos (our Master Jeweler), as they worked side by side at their adjacent workbenches. In time, they moved to a shared workspace, where each of them crafted their own jewelry. And it was there, with the help of Nikos and Eleni, that the first KAKURU collections were born.

Nikos - Master Jeweler

For Nikos, who was raised alongside his uncle, a craftsman working with silver and gold, the decision to forge a career in jewelry came naturally. He worked in several workshops in Athens and London, gaining skills in different areas of jewelry production; his thirty years of experience and hard-earned mastery of his craft make all the difference in the quality of our jewelry and the development of our collections. Once he was back in Greece, joining the KAKURU team was pretty much a given!

(when they all got together)

In 2017, Elina decided that it was time for KAKURU to find a home of its own, and opened her store and workshop in the center of Athens.

It was here that all of them - Elina, Fanio, Eleni and Nikos - came together to form the KAKURU team!