Celebrating International Women’s Day With Five Independent Jewelry Designers

Today’s international independent women designers are a diverse group. They elevate tongue-in-cheek jewelry, reinvigorate antique pieces, and delve into the past to bring forth the universal symbolism and meanings that are as relevant today in modern incarnations as when they were first a part of history. These women also believe in jewelry that is socially responsible as well as beautiful and impeccably crafted. They ensure sustainability and design with ethical diamonds and recycled or fair-mined gold. Their styles are diverse, yet two have also created opportunities for women in their own communities while all are designing for self-purchasing women. They are the independent global designers to celebrate on March 8, 2023 and watch well into the future as they continue to evolve and encourage wearers and collectors of their jewelry to be themselves: independent, powerful, joyful and resilient.

Thelam West/Thelma West Diamonds

Nigerian-born, London-based Thelma West’s company Thelma West Diamonds was established to create opportunities for women who are part of minorities in the industry. She presently employs an all-female team of 10. She creates bespoke jewels and works with ethically sourced diamonds from Africa, fair-mined gold, and repurposed gemstones and metal from vintage jewelry. Her approach to design is eclectic, often playful and always individualistic.

Her background is ever-present in her work. “The Golden Sugarcane Journey is heavily inspired by memories from my childhood. Sugarcane, being a staple treat in my hometown of Lagos, Nigeria.”

She asserts, “women should rock their diamonds like a superstar on the red carpet, even if just grabbing coffee with friends,” She adds,” Express yourself and enjoy yourself. Owning your individual style is key. Layers are wonderful, so please stack away.”

Her personal approach to wearing jewelry, she explains, “is very laid back. I mix metals and styles. I’ll wear an antique coral bracelet gifted to me side by side with diamond bracelets. I love long chains. I’m currently wearing my Sugar Hoops on a long chain alongside a diamond line necklace. I like to be comfortable.”

West also strongly believes that “beyond the alluring aesthetics of jewelry, it should symbolize elegance and social responsibility. Ethical mining can have a truly positive impact on the local communities they come from. We’ve just started to make the first difficult steps. We’re not there yet, but we must keep working very hard toward that direction.”

Francesca Villa/Francesca Villa

Italian-born and based Francesca Villa moved around her native country and her fertile imagination led her to find a home as the creative director for a legendary Italian jewelry house. Her desire for experimentation to create pieces on her own drove her to launch her own collection in 2007. With a sense of eclecticism and a tongue-in-cheek approach to mixing unexpected elements, old and new formed the basis of her collection, keeping it fresh as she evolves.

Villa says, “I have an insatiable desire to find and celebrate antique and vintage objects such as vintage poker chips, tiny toy soldiers, antique stamps, luxury old buttons to create modern treasures to be discovered worn and collected by existing and new customers.”

She is continually searching for new objects that can be elevated to luxury jewelry and gives a contemporary and relevant nod to historical elements such as Essex crystal lockets, pendants, and unexpected treasures from all over the globe. Each piece is superbly crafted and carefully considered.

Villa adds, “I am also driven to work in both the most beautiful and in the most responsible way. Therefore my pieces are made with the finest responsibly sourced gemstones and recycled gold.”

Joanna Dahdah/Joanna Dahdah

Lebanon-born-Dubai-based Joanna Dahdah pays tribute to her heritage and tells the story of motherhood, love and friendship through her jewelry designs. She translates happiness, a sense of play and the use of color and three-dimensional symbolic motifs. She describes her design goal as “creating jewelry that will make the wearer’s heart smile.” In 2011, she opened her flagship store in Beirut, where she sold her designs and those of handpicked designers from around the world. Joanna was joined by her sister Laura in 2022 and the pair rebranded and now concentrates on expanding Joanna Dahdah Fine Jewelry internationally.

Her personal aim is to embolden women, particularly working mothers like herself. Her team comprises all females in her factory and her flagship shop.

Each of Dahdah’s collections has a personal story behind it, and she encourages her clients to choose the pieces and add on those that are most significant to them.

She explains, “The Mila Collection was designed for my daughter Mila, born on Valentine’s Day. It features 18K gold, enamel, diamonds and semi-precious stones. I then introduced the Sun charm to the Mila Collection for my boys playing on the words ‘Son/Sun.’ “

Another collection close to her heart is the Tarbouche Collection, composed of a series of charms about Lebanon. She says, “I wanted to play with symbols of everyday life and elevate them using 18k gold, rubies and diamonds and somehow pay homage to my roots.”

She describes some of the symbols. “The birds are a symbol of freedom, the pomegranate, fertility, the pistachio, happiness and friendship and the eye, protection.” She created her Diamond Hook collection to offer chains in which the wearer can combine charms. She embellished the clasp by setting it with diamonds and making it the center of the chain so that her customers could also dangle their favorite or most meaningful charms close to their hearts.

Her originality and combination of modern and old-world techniques has created an optimistic collection that is as individualistic as it is universal.

Alexandra Rosier Abramczyk/Alexandra Rosier

Paris-based Alexandra Rosier Abramczyk grew up with an Argentinean father, studied in Madrid and wound up back in Paris and explains “I don’t feel like I belong to only one place, but more like a citizen of the world.” She believes there is nothing better than diversity regarding the inspiration for her designs. “It could be an expression of a move, a hand in the hair, the lips, a glance, a laugh which can influence me at any time.” These gestures and expressions along with her travels, textural details, and vibrant colors all inform her feminine, sensual and fluid designs. “But most of all,” she says, “I strive to capture the feeling for the joy of life and spirituality in my collections.”

She believes each jewel a person wears should correspond to a moment of life, connected with a feeling of spirituality. “My Rainbow collection, for example is for everyday use. Since the colors play with the wearer’s energies, it helps them to anchor themselves.”

As for the jewelry she wears herself, “I dive my hands into my old leather velvet jewelry box in which I choose a jewel that corresponds to my mood of the day and which will be my ornament. But I never live without the Fish necklace, the Ganesh pendant or the soft rings.”

She is continually surprised and inspired by different aspects of her life. “There are so many things to do and create, which provides endless possibilities, so I hopefully will continue to surprise my customers and pick up new collectors of my jewelry as I continue to evolve.”

Celine Daoust/ Celine Daoust

Belgian-based Celine Daoust travels between her home and studio to Paris and India, where she spends time as a bench jeweler working side by side with her trusted Indian artisans to ensure the highest quality and attention to detail. Although Daoust explains that her aesthetic is very influenced by her fascination for Ancient Egypt and symbols, she says, “India, the country in which I spend half my life, also plays a major role in my creations.”

Her pieces are soulful, spiritual and universally meaningful with a feeling of wearing sacred amulets. A rockhound from a young age, she now marries her love of stones and their energies with her goldsmithing abilities and her inspirations from jaunting from Belgium to Paris to India. Her vivid imagination allows her the freedom to mix and juxtapose different cultural elements. “Every trip is a treasure hunt. I am always excited to see what stones I will find and what fresh influences I will discover.”

Daoust describes her designs. “My jewels are delicate and, at the same time, powerful. They are in tune with the times but also timeless.” She continues, “I am passionate about creating and experimenting with new techniques, creating links with completely different cultures, while continuing to marvel at the perfection and diversity of what nature offers me.”

All of Daoust’s diamonds are natural, conflict-free, and Kimberly certified.

Jenny Dabbah of Jenny Dee

Jenny Dabbah of Jenny Dee was born and raised in Geneva and has jewelry in her DNA. Her family has been in the jewelry industry for over 40 years, inspiring her Dabbah’s love of gemstones and precious metals. “Mysticismmastronomy and music are huge influences in my work. But sometimes the beauty of a stone directs the design,” says Dabbah. “To me, jewelry is not it’s not just a luxury good. I need to give it a soul.”

She continues, “I am fascinated with opals and moonstones; their changing colors feel magical, and each seems to have its own personality.: When I see a gemstone that has this type of character, I think, “how can I turn this into a piece that into an original modern amulet that will make me feel protected and special” she adds. This is the feeling that Dabbah strives for her jewelry to convey.

“My goal is to continue to create jewelry that my customers feel they can’t leave the house without wearing as they feel it is connected to the pieces in a way that it reflects something or enriches something about their life and strengthens them,” Dabbah adds.

Dabbah doesn’t believe in following rules of ‘how to wear’ jewelry and advises, “just wear it because it makes you feel good, unique, strong and resilient, and you can’t go wrong.”