Today I’ll present you a selection of YAMA Jewelry‘s exquisite rings. Well, a selection (a few from every collection) of my personal favorites. From chunky to stylish/dainty rings which are minimalist yet geometric. It’s hard to resist…and so hard to highlight just one piece.
YAMA is founded by designer Maya Shkedy who has been living and breathing design for more than a decade, inspired by the minimalist movement in art and design.
She is an architect and a certified goldsmith, born and raised in Israel. At the age of 18, she was already designing and selling at local markets and boutique stores. She just couldn’t get enough of designing and knew it was more than just a hobby. Shortly after, Maya began her goldsmith degree, which led to her to Bachelor’s in Architecture.
You can easily find some architectural lines in her designs.
The expression of both worlds make it very distinguished and unique, which I really love lot.
Q&A with Maya:
What was the turning from your passion to a full time business?
At the age of 16, I took the passion I had for creation and started my own business, this was the beginning of my journey to what is now known as YAMA. I started collecting different pieces and metal findings-making them into jewelry. Friends and family loved what I was doing and I was driven to start selling my pieces. I opened a stall at a Designer’s market and this was where I realized that my life’s passion was with design.
At the age of 18 I first started learning goldsmith. Once I got that done, I felt that I wanted to design greater, bigger and socially valuable things. I wanted something with more impact and depth. I wanted to live and breath design in all forms. This is when I decided to become an Architect.
I studied 5 years for my B.Arch. As I had expected, my journey into architecture was fascinating even more than what I imagined it would be. During the five years, I completed several amazing projects, and my final project was an award winning.
Throughout time I found a tremendous desire toward immediate creation, unlike the world of architecture, where planning takes years. This drove me towards creating jewelry all over again. This is when I built YAMA jewelry, combining my love of architecture, design, fashion and creation.
Describe the type of woman who wears your jewelry. Who are they?
Within the name ‘YAMA’ is my name, Maya. Since this was not only a profession, but a passion and serious part of who I am, I felt it important that the brand represent myself on a personal level.
As time went by, I’ve had the honor of meeting my customers face to face – and I found out that these women are very similar to me- hard workers, stylish but very clasic. All of them respect and valuate design, some of them are even architects or designers themselves. Me, meeting my customers personally, is so very touching to me.
As a designer where do you draw your inspiration from?
Nowadays, I am combining my two worlds and scales – an Architect designing high luxury towers, along with jewelry design exhibiting in international shows, creating high and luxurious gold & diamond jewelry.
This Architectonic world is a great muse for my jewelry passion. My two worlds complement one another in the creation process, making each design, both in architecture and jewelry, unique and special.
What has been the greatest hurtle during the process of launching your own brand?
I’ll take you a year back, while planning the DÉPENDRE collection – I was single. It was raining. I was sad. (Seriously. Really was). I just wanted someone to lean on. Sometimes it’s so basic.
I pushed the collection aside. Forgot all about it.
A few months later, I met the one for me. I felt such big energy- I was thriving for creation. I returned to the abandoned pieces, and started to re-sketch them into beautiful, inspirational & exciting ones.
Each step of our relationship became a muse for another jewel. Actually, this collection represent me, my soul and inside guts- casted in little gold pieces.
DÉPENDRE means “depending on”- this collection’s pieces symbolizes steps as leaning on one another, touching, daydreaming, exposing and deepening into mutual trust. These have been translated into 3d visualization and jewelry production.
What is the most gratifying aspect of being a female entrepreneur?
I BELIEVE in women. Being a female entrepreneur makes me believe in us even more.
Femininity amazes me. Strong assertive women are a true role model for me. At times I feel it’s hard to see as there is so much inter criticism towards ourselves.
Behind YAMA models there’s always a strong feminine story. I don’t hire any “agency models” for my brand – therefore the women I shoot are authentic and not runway models. Shooting women who are humbly beautiful inside and out- gives me the chance to capture their strength and beauty from within- beauty is only skin deep.
I feel it gives the photos a strong sense of authenticity.
Mostly, I want every woman strolling my website to feel good about herself whilst shopping for a YAMA piece.
In your opinion, what are the current and upcoming trends in jewelry design?
I feel as if fashion, style and design are constantly changing, and every era has it’s own “classics”.
Geometric jewelry are the 21st century “classics”. Mostly, because of computer software’s that allow us to reshape hi-end jewelry, diamond settings, and luxury designs- combined with 3D printing. This immediate and super fine creation is emerging in almost every aspect in our lives.
How do you adapt to the constant change of the fashion and jewelry industry? How do you hope to transcend your brand into the future?
Along with being a designer and goldsmith, I am a working architect. I use the same city planning software and 3D printing to design buildings as I do to design YAMA’s jewelry. I use this creativity for both worlds and scales- big to small- and this keeps me in good pace with all technologies and trend adaption, while still remaining authentic to my own 21st classic designs.
Collections
Dépendre Collection:
The DÉPENDRE Collection is an integration between Geometric Architectonic style and deep emotions, creating delicate & meticulous jewelry.
MAYA used her own romantic relationship experience as a muse, making a conceptual connection between the phases she and her spouse went through, and the creation of the jewel. DÉPENDRE means “depending on”- this collection’s pieces symbolizes steps as leaning on one another, touching, daydreaming, exposing and deepening into mutual trust. These have been translated into 3D visualization and jewelry production.
GeoMetal Collection
YAMA is characterized by the combination and entwinement of architecture concepts with the essence of jewelry. Bringing the encompassing structures from the world of architecture, into creation of clean lines and architectural forms.
GeoMetal is a stackable collection, fun to play with and very versatile, allowing the wearer to mix and match, creating their own unique style. The pieces are all handmade and crafted by YAMA.
Golden Heart collection
The Golden Heart Collection derived from erge to redesign the oldest, most classic shape in the books- Heart.
Asking questions about proportions, appearance and significance, combined with feelings casted into golden jewelry, created these edgy, geometric pieces, which make a new proposal to how love needs to look like.
Kiss and tell. What are you waiting for?
Femme Collection
Every YAMA piece is unique and powerful with a strong feeling of femininity and desire.
The strength coming from the sharp edges and boldness, together with the minimalism and smooth contours which mimic the woman’s body to encompass the femininity in every woman.
This collection symbolises the strength and femininity of every women. The pieces are to be worn alone. Symbolising the power of a woman, as an individual.
[All images and info thanks to YAMA Jewelry | Collages by MoJ]