An Introduction To The Woman Behind The Brand—And That Would Be Me!
For International Women’s Day, I wanted to share with you a little more of my background and how I found my place in the jewelry world. I was born in Ethiopia and still think of the days as a young girl playing in my grandmother’s garden. “When I launched my first collections in 2008, My Aunt said, ‘I am not surprised that this is the path you chose. When you were a little girl, you cut the biggest flower from the garden and held it against your ear and said to me ‘one day, my jewelry will be this big’." My pieces might not be as big as I imagined I would design but they are imbued with presence and are conversation starters—they allow the wearer to make a statement without ever detracting or overwhelming their personal style.
I admire the workmanship of the renowned jewelers of the 1930s to the mid-twentieth century, attention to detail and sometimes whimsical nature—but I most admire Suzanne Belperron—she carved a niche for herself in a man’s world and was independent, courageous and dynamic—in never wavering from her distinctive sensibilities.
I hope to capture some of that individualism in my designs. All are thoughtfully sketched out until I find the right precision and proportion. I am self-taught designer which required patience, and the passion to see it in through all of the growing pains of a one-women owned business.
The result is a magical array of cocktail rings, pendants that turn into brooches, day into evening earrings. I have always been inspired by different details but most recently the natural world has taken over my imagination.
My new collections are all about versatility and color that is inspired by the organic world from the mysteries of the deep blue sea to exoticism of the lush tropics.
The CoCo Collection borrows from various types of palm tree leaves and barks either at macro/micro level. Mostly set-in yellow gold, the collection imitates sunlight and the diamonds to re-imagine light reflections. Pave set colored gemstones such as Tsavorites were also used to delicately replicate surrounding refreshing greenery. To emphasize nature’s precision and clarity, the combination of the high reflectivity of yellow gold was mixed with blackened gold which created bold contrast. I also took into consideration the current global situation and wanted these pieces in some form to radiate optimism - a positive outlook of the future.
The Ocean Princess Collection is influenced by underwater creatures and plants living in the ocean. I have always found the unparalleled colors, textures, shapes and patterns of the underwater ecosystem fascinating and wanted to dedicate a series of collections exclusively inspired by it.
I seek for all of my pieces to represent some form of versatility. And, I have designed the collections to be transformable/convertible. Pieces can be worn either as a stud or as an ear-climber. Plus, easily transform any look from day-to-evening / formal to informal wear.
I didn’t start out in jewelry but thinking about the garden and what my aunt said, “I believe that life is somewhat of a circle when you have a vision or an interest, you find your way back to it or it finds its way to you. This confirms how I wound up exactly where I am supposed to be.”
XoXo