We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gina Diaz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Gina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

Yes, we create unique and different pieces of jewelry made by hand.

Handmade jewelry is, as its name suggests, crafted by hand from start to finish. Most jewelry in the world today is mass produced using a different process of fabrication, one of them called casting as a result of losing the magic of wearing a handmade piece.

Arteplata is a line of jewelry like no other. It is timeless, handcrafted, and unique. Each piece was created individually with a passion for striking design, personalized style, and distinctive originality. Each piece have their own unique names and personal touches, and each piece is special and completely exclusive to that particular design style and the Arteplata brand. Additionally, each piece of jewelry is made with 925 sterling silver or 14k gold and is adorned with the most beautiful precious gemstones.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born and raised in Dominican Republic. From an early age in my childhood, I was attracted to accessories for necklaces and bracelets. I made changes to them and redesigned them to my way creating my own designs.

In 2007 I embarked on my first formal jewelry business starting “Silver by Gina Díaz”, a virtual store where I offered top quality silver jewelry made in Thailand. At that time my husband, (Deceased) ) supported me and always told me that I had a special talent and I had to give life and voice to that talent through jewelry design. From that moment I began to include designs created by myself and since then I have dedicated myself with passion in body and soul to give life to pieces of jewelry.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My journey as a designer has not been easy. I have encountered many obstacles that have made me fall and I have been able to get up and I have had to change paths, work, direction of focus, but never my goal as a designer. My dream is to be in the big windows in big stores like Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and others and to have my own jewelry gallery.

For example, looking for new horizons and new markets, I came to live in the United States 4 years ago, I had to start from zero, leaving the Comfort area of ​​my country, with two children and alone, with little English, I worked hard to pay my English classes and nursing studies that would lead me to have a better preparation that would allow me to be closer to my goals every day.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

These days social media very important because it helps small business owners like mine to find their niche, connect with ideal customers, and build strong relationships on this increasingly lucrative channel. Also helps improve your return on investment and allows you to collect powerful customer data. In my case I Engage with my customers through Instagram and website.

Instagram is a fantastic way for small business to engage with the audience, show them what you’re up to, and continue building strong relationships. In my Instagram account I share the inspirations behind the jewelry making, each piece tells a story, a moment that connects with the client.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.arteplata.shop
• Instagram: @arteplata.shop
• Facebook: Arteplata/Joyas De Autor