Below are my sketches from our design process. We wanted the sea fan pendants to look both flowing and organic (not always easy in hard sterling silver). After completing the final sketch, I sent the specifications to Thailand, where talented silversmiths made a master model. Often, samples require several revisions before we’re satisfied with the final result. In this example, the sea fans needed just one round of modifications to reach perfection!

What inspires your creations?

Sea Fan: from sketches to final product

Despite the similarities, the element of design is a key difference between our company and theirs. Zappos sells the same shoes everyone else sells while Nina Designs creates new designs that are unique to our company. Our silver pendants and jewelry parts also become part of larger creations, facilitating our customer’s own creative vision. That lead us to a key insight. While the goal at Zappos is to Deliver Happiness, at Nina Designs we strive to Deliver Inspiration.

What do you deliver?

Peep toes from Zappos

Peep toes from Nina Designs

Get the right people on the bus in the right seats.
- If you’re in doubt, don’t hire, keep looking.
- The moment you feel you have to tightly manage someone, you have made a hiring mistake.
- Whether someone is the right person has more to do with character traits and innate capabilities than with specific knowledge, background or skills.

I recently heard a presentation by Kerrie Halmi, who is often consulted by large companies to improve their hiring processes.   I think her advice is golden:

1. Cultural Fit – Anyone who is a poor fit won’t last. Reference your company values, does the candidate share them? This does NOT mean, “Are they just like me?” You want variety, different types of people. (At Zappos they have a whole department dedicated to making sure that new hires are a good cultural fit).

2. References – Spend more time on this. There are ways to persuade people to talk even when they say they can’t comment. “Kristin gave you as a reference, can I talk to you for a few minutes about her?” Take the time to draw out the conversation and ask probing questions. “What would be the best way to manage Kristin?” Listen VERY carefully. “Oh, that’s interesting, tell me more.” Ask open ended questions. “Our culture is very focused on initiative, how do you think Kristin will fit in?”

3. Continuously Recruit – Never get to the point where you are desperate to hire. Always be on the look out for new talent. Stay in touch with anyone who might be a good fit.

Halmi pointed out that a bad hire will usually cost you 1-3  years in gross salary if you tally the time, energy and money spent to correct the situation. She strongly recommends taking your time and waiting until you find just the right person. This is the same advice I heard from Lulu Lemon CEO, Chip Wilson, who counsels, ” Interview someone at least three times to see who they REALLY are.” Most people put up a good front on the first interview but by the third character flaws start to show. Wilson made another good point, “If you hire one good person, they will bring three good people with them. If you hire one bad person, they will bring ten people with them.”

In our experience here at Nina Designs, we have learned to trust our instincts. Even a small twinge of uncertainty is usually a sign that a candidate is not a good cultural fit. It is tempting to compromise when you are stressed for time but don’t give in. You WILL find the right person for the job and with the right people on the bus, you can go anywhere!

The Proud Members of the Nina Designs Team

Lately, my eye has been drawn to colorful beaded jewelry that evokes Native American themes and patterns. I find the geometry in the patterns and the spirituality it represents very provocative. My inspiration boards and favorites on Etsy have been filling up quickly with beaded beauties. That’s why when Leah designed the chubby infinity jewelry link I couldn’t wait to try insetting it with colorful gemstone beads. I’ve been wire wrapping stones along the outside edge of circle links, but this was my first time wrapping to the inside. My beaded pendant is not exactly the way I envisioned it. I will definitely practice my technique to get this perfected. But, for my first time, I’m pleased with the result.

Though really . . . I’m not quite sure if it’s finished. What do you think? Would you add a ruffle of beads along the lower bottom edge? If so, what color?

Dickens' Amelia Earhart

Dickens’ intricate sculptures (including a life-size Amelia Earhart!) and spiritually symbolic paintings elevate artistic creativity to a new dimension. He has totally inspired me to create jewelry out of found objects. I believe that “found jewelry art” has great potential to be an innovate trend in jewelry design. (I need to be selective in my decisions though, because it could also turn out looking rather trashy).

Here are a few ideas I had:

1) Pair our sterling silver buttons with old buttons out of your collection at home.

2) Braid a few strands of our hand-dyed silk ribbons with vintage fabric scraps.

3) Match assorted sizes of our hammered flat teardrop silver pendants with decorative fishing lures (be sure to remove hooks)!

4) Contrast any of our silver coin charms with real old coins (I especially like old corroded pennies that have turned green)!

5) Weave vintage bottle caps into our colorful leather cords.

The ideas are spinning in my head like a merry-go-round. The possibilities are limitless when you expand your jewelry to found items! One woman’s trash is most definitely another woman’s treasure!

Dark Angel Necklace

We have a great selection of silk ribbons, leather cord, gemstone beads and pearls to choose from. With the price of silver on the rise, it is sometimes difficult to create designs entirely in silver that are affordable. Don’t be discouraged! Consider it a challenge to create jewelry that is affordable yet every bit as beautiful.

I have been trying to tackle this challenge in my own jewelry designs. In my most recent design I used our black hand-dyed silk, a pair of diametrically opposed angel wing pendants, and one silver cross pendant. I didn’t use much silver in this necklace and as a result the silver cross is a very special, much appreciated part of the piece.

I scattered large hole pearls throughout to add a bit of color and interest. I also utilized a few pearls as slider beads to finish the necklace and make it adjustable! My Dark Angel Necklace was a success in creating beautiful jewelry on a budget.

Be gentle when cleaning. You don't want to remove all the oxidation!

1. Before you start cleaning jewelry always do a quick visual check to see if there are any loose or damaged gemstones; cracked or broken metal; bent or warped prongs/tips; discolored or pitting metal. If this is the case, we recommend having it professionally cleaned and repaired. You wouldn’t want to cause any further damage.

2. Always remove jewelry before showering or cleaning. A film can form if the soap is not washed off completely. This film will become a magnet for dirt, dust and other contaminants.

3. Use a silver polishing cloth to remove oxidation from silver. Tissues and paper towels can cause scratches. We recommend using a Sunshine Cloth. Be sure to use fresh cloths since the dirt and grit left on the cloth from a previous use can leave scrapes and pits. Use light pressure and allow the cloth to do the work for you. If your arm starts to ache, you’re probably pressing too hard.

4. Commercial cleaners can be purchased at jewelry stores. Always remember to read the instructions on the commercial cleaners first before you attempt cleaning. Most commercial cleaners are very strong and will remove all oxidation! Many of our designs are purposely oxidized then polished, so that crevices are darkened to bring out the depth and beauty of a piece. Take care not to remove this design element. Do not go overboard!

(psst . . . click on the link below to read more cleaning tips).

5. If you’d like to avoid harsh commercial cleaners and the polishing cloth doesn’t work, wash silver jewelry (without gemstones or pearls) in warm water containing a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid. Immerse the sterling silver in the water and gently hand wash. Use a cotton swab for tight corners. A soft baby toothbrush can be used for more abrasive cleaning when needed. Thoroughly rinse and completely dry the sterling silver before storing, as moisture is one of the factors that contribute to tarnishing!

6. If the jewelry contains gemstones or pearls, do not submerge the entire piece into water. Instead, use a cotton swab with mild dishwashing liquid to wash only the silver. Again, thoroughly rinse and completely dry the sterling silver before storing, as moisture is one of the factors that contribute to tarnishing!

7. Never clean your jewelry in bleach! Doing this will literally breakdown your jewelry. Bleach is an oxidizing agent that will react to the metal, causing it to become very brittle. Remember to remove your jewelry before swimming or soaking in a hot tub too!

8. Besides chlorine bleach, denatured alcohol, turpentine, acetone, and ammonia are harmful too. These chemicals can dull or even pit the surface on softer gemstones, like amber, turquoise, lapis, and more.

9. Never use toothpaste or other abrasives to clean metal or stones. Some websites recommend toothpaste as a cleaner, but this is not an accepted practice by fine jewelers. The abrasives in toothpaste can damage the surface of the metal. Toothpaste will also abrade the surface on amber, lapis, turquoise and other soft stones.

By following these simple tips, you’ll be able to keep your precious jewelry clean and in tip top condition. Take care of your silver jewelry and you will get to enjoy them for many years to come.

Plum Blossom Branch Collection - stock available in early February

We use a lot of tracing paper when working on new designs for jewelry findings. It’s helpful to trace the parts of the sketch that work, and then add or change the drawing until the elements come together harmoniously. You can see the development below. On the far left is the first sketch. I then substituted leaves for flowers to see how it would look. We decided that flowers look better than both leaves and flowers. Next we played with the length: would it be more appealing if it were a little longer? No…stick with the original size.

As jewelry designers ourselves, we appreciate components that provide multiple design options. To this end, we adjusted the tip of the pendant so it has an opening. Now it’s possible to add a dangle to the end or hang the pendant horizontally. Finally, we designed a small cluster of flowers to match (deciding that five flowers was more appealing than three) and a sweet single blossom charm. Now we have three coordinating Plum Blossom Branch elements around which you can design a whole jewelry collection! These will be available in early February. Do you sketch jewelry designs before you make them? What is your design process like?

Sketches of the Evolution of the Plum Blossom Branch Pendant

Macrame Root Bound Necklace

My new interest in jewelry design started with the smaller details of construction, like figuring out what silver crimp beads and silver jump rings are all about and how to add the perfect silver clasp to really pull it all together. In this necklace I used different colors and thicknesses of silk cord as a backdrop for the regal gold vermeil beads and the super funky interwoven silver chain. These gold beads paired well with the square knot technique used in macrame. I can’t wait to further explore this technique using these materials. What weaving techniques have you applied to jewelry design?