Cloyette Harris-Stoute
Designer / Founder / Global Leader
Cloyette Harris-Stoute grew up in Guyana, where jewelry was never simply something you wore. Gold jewelry was gifted to newborns, treasured pieces were passed from one generation to the next, and what women wore often carried stories of family, culture, and identity. These traditions shaped how she understood jewelry long before she began designing it herself.
Her earliest influence was her grandmother, the family matriarch, who wove tibisiri bags by hand and sold them at the market to support her family. Summers spent helping her gave Cloyette her first look at both craft and entrepreneurship. A proud and stylish woman who loved her hats and gold jewelry, she also showed Cloyette that adornment could say something about who you are.
Cloyette's introduction to jewelry design and metalsmithing began at the Jewelry Arts Institute in New York City and the Art League of Long Island, where she studied traditional techniques and learned to work with different metals. Her journey later took her to India, where she experienced jewelry-making traditions that reminded her of those she had grown up with in Guyana. Seeing those connections firsthand deepened her appreciation for the craftsmanship and cultural histories that travel across generations and continents.
Her design preferences are equally personal. Cloyette is drawn to jewelry with texture, structure, and character. She favors bold proportions, sculptural forms, architectural details, and intricate finishes over plain, polished surfaces. These choices shape how she interprets the traditions, places, and experiences that influence her work. For Cloyette, the story behind a piece matters, but so does the way that story takes shape in metal.
In 2024, she founded ALLIYETTE, where her Caribbean roots, her appreciation of history and culture, and her love of sculptural design come together. Her work ranges from bold statement pieces to intricate motifs and colored gemstones. In 2025, her Stella Maris gemstone earrings were named a finalist for the Accessories Council Design Excellence Award.
Beyond jewelry, Cloyette has spent more than two decades working in healthcare information technology and is the founder of Guyanese Girls Rock! and the Guyanese Girls Rock Foundation, through which she has worked to celebrate, mentor, and create opportunities for women and girls of Guyanese heritage. She also serves as Chair of the G100 Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Chapter, representing Guyana, and received the 2024 Iconic Female Leadership Award from the Justine Mutale Foundation.
"ALLIYETTE is a tribute to the women who shaped me, especially my grandmother, whose creativity, craftsmanship, and determination still guide my hands. What they gave me lives in every piece, and now it continues with you. Your heritage becomes heirloom the moment you make it your own.” ~ Cloyette