Gem Gossip Visits Vada Jewelry in Austin, TX

If I could have every piece of Vada Jewelry, I WOULD!  Have you ever met a jewelry line where you are absolutely obsessed with every single piece?!  I know, it is pretty rare!  I truly can’t single out a favorite!  I was so excited to meet with Katie, designer of Vada Jewelry where each piece within her jewelry line is handmade in Austin, TX, where she currently calls home.  She was brought up in a mid-west town in Arkansas, where big dreams paired with a passion for fashion and jewelry led her to create Vada Jewelry.  This November will mark her first official year launching her designs, which also includes a curation of antique jewelry, another love of hers. I got to experience both her line and curated antique pieces while visiting with her on my recent jewelry tour of Austin.

Katie’s love of jewelry began many years back when she inherited her grandmother Dot’s jewelry collection. Her grandmother was known as a jewelry junkie who often spent long hours sifting through pawn shop gold and throwing costume jewelry parties. Reading and learning about antique jewelry furthered her love, and what was once a hobby turned into a passion of collecting. Her background is in Apparel Design and Retail Merchandising which led her to a job at By George, Austin’s well-known high end fashion and accessories store. Her jewelry style turned heads while working there, and she eventually created a small display from her personal collection to sell at the store. With a newfound confidence and demand for her taste, she branched out and began sketching her own collection. The pieces are handcrafted using ancient artisanal techniques and genuine materials—a goal of hers to have her jewelry designs ensure their longevity and endure for years to come— being passed down to future generations.

Vada Jewelry is a product of multiple inspirations for Katie, whether it is a piece of art or a photograph, inspiration is everywhere for her. She says, “I am constantly looking for inspiration everywhere I go, it always comes from the most unexpected places. I am enamored with black and white photos of hands and jewelry, especially the work of Man Ray. I often look to early surrealism art for inspiration,  it plays a major role in my art direction. Antique jewelry was my first love, specifically mourning jewelry from the Victorian Era and heavy gold pieces from ancient Greek times.” We talked about our love for both Art Deco and 1970s design, both very different in many aspects but equally amazing.

I can see the influences in each piece from her collection. The black enamel thick band has both a Victorian yet modern feel to it. Her snake ring is conspicuously Victorian, but when you look closer it undoubtedly has a sleek and modern look. Her gold collar necklaces are edgy and fit perfectly with fashion today—but if you look back to the 1970s, women were wearing heavy gold collar necklaces then too. I love the mixing of eras and I think Vada Jewelry will definitely stand the test of time with designs like this. Now, if only I can figure out which pieces will be first on my wish list…

Vada Jewelry can be seen at both By George locations in Austin, TX or online at www.vadajewelry.com

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