Jewelry is personal. It accents our bodies and our clothes to subtly hint at our personality and style. It’s just as particular as clothing but it’s a little more special in that it plays with our ensembles. You can be wearing a sundress, but the second you throw on a choker you’re a 90’s grunge kid. You can be wearing a plain black tee, but with gem stone drop earrings you’re ready for a night out. Jewelry elevates our aesthetic in an instant, yet to some it’s entirely overlooked. Here at TTS we love a good statement piece as much as love fine pieces that introduce elegance into our daily outfit. But with so many jewelry designers out there it’s hard to find the right one who understands us, who can exude our New York attitude and style. That’s why we hand selected our top 10 favorite NYC based jewelry lines. They range in origin and aesthetic but no matter what kind of New Yorker you are, they’ve got your taste in check. From edgy to elegant, no matter the day or occasion you will be guaranteed impeccable quality and fashion from these beloved jewelry makers.
Based in Brooklyn, the self named jewelry line comes from Fay Andrada, who worked in digital design at MTV and ad agencies in NYC, discovered metalsmithing in Portland, Maine, which is where the union of her functional principles of graphic design and her own uncommon aesthetic came together. The smooth, minimal pieces are primarily of gold, silver, and brass shaped into distinctive forms using hammers, files, and flames, giving the hand created line a personal and elegant touch.
Brought to you by Satu and Celeste Greenberg, originally from Northern Cali, the sister, sister duo started their careers as editors at premier fashion magazines as well as collaborating backstage at fashion shows with Derek Lam, Jason Wu, Carolina Herrera, and Peter Som (quite the lineup). After meeting industry people who admired their personal style, it inspired them to found their own brand. Drawing inspiration from French cinema icons and avant-garde music performers and filmmakers, Tuleste exudes individualism, encouraging wearers of all ages to rock their stuff in their idiosyncratic style. With rabbit fur pom pom drop earrings and colorful enamel bangles, you’ll certainly stand out. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
A proclaimed artisanal accessories line, Amanda Pearl was founded by Seattle born Amanda Pearl Brotman. Her designs pull references from her Pacific Northwest roots shaped by nature, science, music and visual and performing arts. Initially a handbag line, she relaunched with luxury jewelry to compliment the glamour of her overall aesthetic. What we really love is her philanthropic consciousness, working with small artisanal producers, un-mined stones, and cultured pearls (a natural resource that helps maintain and improve water ecology), as well as foundations that support education, the arts, and child welfare such as The Red Cross, Girls inc., The School of American Ballet Free Arts NYC, and New Yorkers for Children.
Started by Wing Yau, originally from the Pacific Northwest, utilized her background in sculpture at the Rhode Island School of Design and her assistance of NYC artists and galleries to exploring design. After making a series of necklaces based on textile sculptures, Yau founded WWAKE in 2012 with the concept of marrying art’s unconventional spirit with the intimacy of jewelry. Worn by celebrities such as Rihanna and Cate Blanchett and featured in publications such as Vogue, W, and The New York Times, WWAKE’s simplicity is elevated by signature contour shapes, unexpectedly light stone arrangements, and other-wordly, conflict-free stones.
OV US was launched in Brooklyn in 2013 focused on making leather wares and goods for the body and home approachable. The designs, which include chokers (braided, with draped tassels, double wrapped, and more), body harnesses (simple and complex), and hanging basket cases for home plants are designed with a mix of soft, malleable leathers, suedes, and calf hairs in playful colors and hard metal trims to create a contrast that still compliments and separates themselves from the rest of the leather goods and chokers that have been trending.
Born in the Midwest, Susan read her first copy of Vogue when she was seven years old. She remembers wanting to be a part of that “magical world” we call fashion. When she grew up she acquired her degree in fashion and marketing going on to work for Jean Paul Gaultier, Interview Magazine, and Jill Platner. Her style being described as lush, romantic, whimsical and humorous play into her hand painted bracelets and cuffs, fusing bronze, vintage baubles and findings and hand sculpted clay beads for extra uniqueness. The Susan Alexandra designs are derived from a broad range of influences, such as Frida Kahlo’s lace gowns, Oilily patterns from the 90’s, bodega signs, watermelon candies, and hip-hop music. Her motto, “Don’t take yourself too seriously. Have a sense of humor. Wear something that makes you smile,” hit close to home for us here at TTS since we all abide by those wise words, which is why we’ve collaborated with the funky, fun Susan Alexandra to create TTS’s spirit in a tangible, wearable form. Stay tuned…
A Cali native, Caitlin Mociun has traveled around the world from a young age, leaving California at 12 and venturing throughout Asia and Europe, with extended stays in Malaysia and Prague. At 18 she attended the Rhode Island School of Design, earning her BFA in textiles. She relocated to Willy-B, Brooklyn with her opening a Mociun shop in 2011 selling her beautiful one-of-a-kind stone cluster rings (usually made from antique diamonds and rare stones such as bicolor sapphires) along with artisan-made ceramics and other unique homegoods. This year she opened Mociun White, a bridal salon, which has been featured in the New York Times, Dwell, and Vogue. Her pieces all made by jewelers she works closely with in New York are simple, unexpected elegance, as she likes to call it. Her ethics play into her production as well, making sure to work closely with suppliers when sourcing new diamonds and gemstones to ensure she knows exactly where they come from. She also recycles any scrap metal, either by pulling it into wire or refining it to use it for future castings, recuts and polishes damaged stones, and repairs broken jewelry so that there is never any waste. Eco-friendly and beautiful? We can definitely get on board with that.
Suzzan Atala is the mastermind behind Tuza, a jewelry line consisting of cheeky charm bracelets and necklaces (there’s a Sex Charms necklace as well as a New York Nightlife bracelet) and other pieces that reflect upon her Mexican, Lebanese, and American roots. Trained in both Mexico and London, Suzzan exercises sculptural techniques to define her multicultural heritage. As food lovers here at TTS, we obviously love pieces like the Food Charms bracelet consisting of a pizza, pineapple, pretzel, taco, and cherries. Her other pieces have an Art Deco vibe that is great for glam, champagne sippin’ soirees.
Brooklyn based babe Lizz Jardim started making her jewelry back in college as a more affordable way to wear the body jewelry she longed to have but couldn’t afford (we wish we were as crafty). She started creating pieces and wearing each and every one together showcasing her collection on herself as a way to test run the pieces. That’s when L. Jardim came to be. Not only does she prove that they look amazing together but with everything in general (plus they’re Zoe Kravitz approved). Handmade in Brooklyn, everything is made to order from metals and chains bringing this body hardware some badass appeal to your wardrobe.
Cristina Ramella conceived Artelier in 2014 in Mexico. Pieces are inspired by travel and the fusion of Ramella’s relationship with Italy, where she was raised, and Mexico, where she established her studio. All of her pieces are hand-crafted from metals, which have been worn by major bloggers such as Leandra Medine, Chiara Ferragni, and Kristina Bazan. Having specialized in Fine Jewelry and Metalsmith in New York City, shes’s back to launch Atelier here in the big bad city. With themed collections like the City Collection consisting of urban motifs (the Big Apple for example) and Luna Collection featuring spherical details to resemble the moon, Artelier is the perfect personal touch to your ensembles.
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