We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Vada Sorel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Vada, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?
The idea for my jewelry business has been slowly taking root throughout my whole life. My dad was a wood sculpture artist, and I grew up living in the loft space above his studio. His deep appreciation for his medium, wood, has left an impression on me from an early age. One of my earliest memories is of my dad explaining how trees give off the oxygen we need, and we give off carbon dioxide the trees need, creating a natural synergy we depend on. His drive to honor trees after they have fallen by remaking them into works of art inspired me, and I knew that someday I’d do the same. Growing up in such close proximity to the art world also created in me a fascination with the intersection of art and function. I loved the idea of creating wearable pieces of art. I felt there was a gap in the handmade jewelry market. Many handmade items featured gemstones, which weren’t always ethically sourced and were rarely affordable for everyday wear. I came up with the idea to bring the beauty of nature to a jewelry collection through sustainable, handcrafted pieces that seamlessly blended modern design with organic materials. When I was 16 I started making wooden jewelry and selling it at local boutiques, galleries, and art shows. When I was 18, I decided to attend design school at Belmont University to further explore my fascination with form and function. Though my jewelry making was placed on hold, design school pushed me to further develop my skills as an artist and designer. After graduation, I started a full-time career in commercial interior design. It was (and still is) my dream job, but I felt that something was missing: I needed to be creating and working with my hands directly on a medium again. I decided to revamp my jewelry business in 2022, this time with a new set of design skills and philosophies I’d learned in my career as an interior designer.
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
My goal as a jewelry designer is to create unique pieces that are sustainably made and sure to stand out. I take a lot of inspiration from wabi-sabi design principles, finding beauty in the simple, natural, unconventional, understated, and even imperfect. For example, one of the woods I use for my jewelry is called spalted maple, and it’s known for the intricate dark lines that run through the wood. Regular maple wood is a light blonde color all the way through, but the serpentine pattern in spalted maple is caused by a process of decay after the tree has fallen. I think it’s so special to have the privilege of sharing that beauty with the world. I only use wood from trees that have died or fallen naturally, recycling it into one-of-a-kind pieces. From the selection of the wood to the final polish, I put my heart and soul into each piece. I believe that every piece of jewelry should tell a story, and I hope that my customers will feel connected to the natural beauty and personal touches behind each piece.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
When I first started doing the research for all the equipment I would need to start a jewelry company, I almost threw out the whole idea because of how much time, money, and energy I’d have to invest into learning so many new technical and business skills. My husband and I worked out a plan of action in the months leading up to starting my business. I couldn’t believe how supportive and excited my husband was when I told him about my jewelry idea late one Wednesday night after a couple of glasses of wine. We started stockpiling cash whenever we could, and I worked out a plan for adjusting my full-time job as an interior designer to a part-time job. The equipment was one thing, but truthfully I was most worried about the lack of steady, dependable income as I shifted into building my own business. Making this move took so much patience and trust. There were many moments even just a few months back that I considered giving up and returning to my day job full-time, but I’m so glad I stuck it out through the frustration of navigating how to bring something from idea to prototype to product.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
In every package I send out, I include a note letting my customer know that I’m grateful for them and that I hope they enjoy their pieces. I genuinely care so much about the quality and integrity of my jewelry (which is why I spent so many months in the prototyping phase,) and I want that to be evident when someone receives their purchase. I spent months refining my process and materials so my customers can count on their jewelry to last and stand out. Each piece is attentively made by hand and quality inspected before it goes to the customer. I think doing good, honest work that is truly in alignment with who you are is the best way to connect with customers.
Contact Info:
- Website: vadajane.com
- Instagram: @vadajanejewelry
Image Credits
Eli Spotts (Headshot) Baye Parrish (all others)