Handmade: San Diego Jewelry Designers

You simply can’t go wrong with handmade jewelry. Custom crafted by gifted local artists, handmade jewelry adds the perfect touch of everyday elegance to your fanciful spring wardrobe.

Best of all, handmade jewelry has its own personality and unique story in every piece. A designer’s vision and inspiration can stem from anything – vintage light posts, tropical sunset shades, and whimsical, sunny days in San Diego. Securing your unique personal style, handmade pieces are typically one-of-a-kind statements that ensure no carbon copies are roaming the downtown city streets.

From Three Sisters Jewelry to Zedena Designs and Mimi & Lu, many emerging designers call San Diego home, gifting us locals with direct access to their custom creations. Sustainable fashion: made by San Diegans, for San Diegans. Adorned in these irresistible baubles, you’ve never looked better supporting the local community.

Discover five must-know San Diego jewelry designers.

Three Sisters Jewelry: An appreciation of a vintage touch is what Three Sisters gives to us and to the art of handmade jewelry making. Zoe, the founder of Three Sisters, was raised in the natural beach community of Cardiff, with her parents and a house filled with vintage antics ranging from rock posters to Persian rugs. Being influenced from a young age by a wide range of collective styles and an area that appreciates the laid back lifestyle, Zoe naturally had a connection for simplicity and characteristics that only could be obtained from age. Perfect, newborn articles were just not her cup of tea. She had an instant attraction to life’s natural beauty.

Three Sisters Jewelry, paying homage to Zoe's eclectic three daughters, boasts a wide range of necklaces, bracelets and adorable trinkets that can be personalized to fit the occasion. By customizing your jewelry with many add-on options, such as quaint lockets adorned with citrine stone or hand-stamped messages with a retro typography feel, you can be sure that your piece will be made for you and you alone. Check out more designs at threesisterjewelrydesign.com.

Zedena Designs: Melissa Netherton, owner and designer of Zedena Designs, has two very special people to thank for her innate love handmade jewelry, her grandmothers. Netherton’s enchantment for jewelry began as a child, with her earliest memories of rummaging around grandma Zedena’s jewelry box filled with priceless treasures (hence the company name). In addition, Melissa's other grandmother, Barbara, compassionately provided her with high levels of encouragement, as well as the tools she needed to experiment with her own jewelry design, like old malleable telephone wire that mimics modern mediums.

Today, Zedena Designs showcases jewelry with intricate wire detailing throughout several collections. Zedena has now evolved to include mediums made in glass, metals and its favorite enamel made into songbirds. With its subtle patterns and understated design, Zedena is a perfect addition to your upcoming spring wardrobe. Check out more designs at zedenadesigns.com.

Mimi&Lu: Born amongst an engaging group of colorful acrobats, Mimi&Lu showcases delicate pieces with a whimsical touch. Michelle Watson, owner and designer of Mimi&Lu, worked in the wardrobe department of the world famous Cirque De Soleil while beginning to construct her handmade jewelry. After noticing her in-demand jewelry was being masqueraded by cirque acrobats flipping with excitement, ideas sparked that maybe she could actually do this for a living.

Due to Watson’s fascination of putting color and texture into creative use, Mimi&Lu's statement-making pieces can add new layers to your outfits. For instance, the inventive Marcus Cuff in the Spring 2011 line does such. With its slick wirework and playful use of textures and prints, the juxtaposition is sure to add some spice to your Boho-chic spring dress. Check out more designs at mimiandlu.com.

Headcrazed: The fiercely stylish Headcrazed brand is owned by the multi-faceted stylist Rozalynne Wolf. Gaining inspiration from old buttons and colorful feathers, Headcrazed interprets the whimsical environment in which all live, but most likely do not see. The signature Black Feathered Earrings showcase silver, smooth black feathers and leather accents attached to a closed hoop earring. Its use of organic materials evokes a care free, natural mindset.

By bringing light to the little things we typically don’t appreciate in our busy everyday lives, Headcrazed grounds us while elevating our style to all new heights. Constantly evolving her creative direction across new mediums, Wolf is a natural force in the San Diego fashion scene. Check out more designs at etsy.com.

Elva Fields: A woman’s innate spirit is a free flowing life force and the main source of inspiration for Elva Fields. Emily Maynard, founder and designer, created Elva Fields with the combination of her vast knowledge of jewelry and her love of creating one-of-a-kind vintage designs. Her different collections – Elva, June and Deb – are named after her great grandmother, grandmother and mother, respectively - the lineage of incredible women that ultimately represents who Emily is.

Emily seeks unusual and antique finds at local, rural markets, actions and shops. Her findings are then reinvented into a breathtaking one-of-a-kind piece. With this in mind, the vintage-chic Tie a Yellow Ribbon necklace is adorned with yellow enamel bow pins, gold pewter and vintage brass strands. And if you’re a blushing bride-to-be, make sure to peruse Elva Fields' line of bridal jewelry - perfect for the contemporary San Diego bride. Check out more designs at shop.elvafields.com. 

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