Q & A with Jewelry Designer Janna Conner

Jewelry designer Janna Conner has been featured on the pages of every girl’s favorite magazines and worn by every girl’s favorite celebrities. She is based in Los Angeles and her designs reflect the laid-back elegance of the west coast. After ten years designing fashion jewelry, Janna shifted gears slightly and focused on a fine jewelry collection. Her Cubist collection has caught my attention, with many others, and to think that her initial ideas for those particular designs were shot down by a few gem-cutting factories. The tedious hand-cutting of each white topaz was a feat, but luckily Janna was determined. Other collections of hers include: AURÉOLE, Starburst, Flora & Fauna, and Semi-Precious. We caught up with Janna to ask her a few questions:

The best part of being a jewelry designer is doing something I love and am passionate about. I get to design the things I would like to wear.

My proudest moment has been the launch of my fine jewelry collection, fulfilling a life long dream of mine. After 11 years of designing a costume line that is trend driven, my fine jewelry is more timeless, with designs that will wear well for years to come.

I love to travel and visit art museums. My husband and I take a yearly trip to Europe to visit his family in Paris and Brussels. Through spending time with his friends and family on our travels, I have been exposed to both Flemish and French culture on a more intimate level. This European sensibility has definitely affected my design aesthetic. These yearly trips are not just vacations, however, as I always make sure to search out wholesale districts and new stone vendors to help give my jewelry a new and fresh global perspective.

Right now I love the white topaz in my cubist collection for its glamour and versatility. I had the stones cut especially for me, and I will add additional stones with every new season. The angles of the stones are sharp and angular, reminding me of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braques cubist paintings.

Definitely a trio of gold bangles that my mother gave me a few years back. She bought them in Paris in the 70’s so when I wear them it reminds me of her and my favorite city Paris, at the same time.