Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Vanessa Stofenmacher. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Vanessa, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
As humans, we often seek connection and meaning in the things we wear and surround ourselves with. For me, creating Silent Opus was about infusing modern jewelry with a sense of soul. The jewelry we choose to wear can carry deep, hidden significance. It connects us to what matters most – ourselves, our loved ones, and the world around us.
The inspiration for Silent Opus came from a nostalgic family tradition. My mother wore three stacking gemstone rings to celebrate the birth of each of her daughters, passing them down to us on our wedding days. When my own daughter was born, I felt compelled to continue this tradition and empower others to do the same.
With Silent Opus, we aim to modernize and bring inclusion into a traditionally exclusive process. We offer thoughtfully curated designs and a completely custom experience, inviting you to create your own meaningful symbols – symbols with soul.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I don’t have a formal background in jewelry, but I entered the industry in a roundabout way. Previously, I co-founded a startup with my sister that used a personalization algorithm to create meaningful gifts for significant others. Through this, we discovered that jewelry is the most common gift from men to women. I noticed that the jewelry industry was quite traditional, with decisions often made by men behind closed doors. This motivated me to bring transparency to the industry, leading to the creation of my first direct-to-consumer (D2C) jewelry venture, Vrai & Oro (now called Vrai). Following a challenging acquisition, I decided to leave the company in 2019 to focus on my new family and personal well-being.
After leaving Vrai, my life changed drastically. I became a mother, and the pandemic hit. We temporarily moved to Lake Arrowhead, and I transitioned from working 10 hours a day and leading a team of 30 to staying at home to care for my newborn daughter. This shift was exactly what I needed. It allowed me to reconnect with what mattered most and find peace of mind.
Although I initially intended to take a break from jewelry, I felt drawn back to the industry. The birth of my daughter reminded me of three special rings my mother had made when my sisters and I were born. She wore them stacked together every day until our weddings, when she passed them down to us. I wanted to continue this tradition while inspiring others to create their own, leading to the birth of Silent Opus.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I didn’t plan to leave my first brand Vrai, but I was approached by an impressive company in Silicon Valley that was growing diamonds using solar technology. They were interested in acquiring Vrai as their jewelry partner and wanted me to stay on to lead it. I was excited to accept because I thought we could do great things together. However, our values clashed, and it became harder to maintain our culture of respect, inclusivity and collaboration. When I was 9 months pregnant, I made the very difficult decision to leave because I knew it was more important for me to be in a healthy mindset and a safe environment when my daughter was born.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Staying true to my values, even if it means growing at a slower pace, is the most important lesson I’ve learned from my past experiences. I strongly believe that peace of mind is the most underrated asset in life. Now, I won’t let anything get in the way of it. It’s easy to get caught up in striving for more, but I think what we really need is a deeper connection to ourselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: silentopus.com
- Instagram: silent.opus
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessastofenmacher/