Today we’d like to introduce you to Yeva Adalyan.
Yeva, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
It started back in 2000 when I decided to fix my old broken wooden bracelets, and instead of fixing/renewing them I ended up with 3 completely different necklaces. I called my friends to come have dinner and check them out. Few days later, after seeing what I had done with my broken jewelry, all four of them brought their own broken jewelry pieces for me to “fix” and I made interesting new pieces for them to wear. At the time, I was working for an architectural firm in Old Town Pasadena as a graphic designer, as well as Interior Designer Assistant. I came across these beautiful counter-top metallic laminant samples, useless architectural elements and interior design product samples that were thrown into the recycle bin since some of the samples from the original set were missing. They were gorgeous pendant size colorful rectangles. I asked my boss if I could salvage them and take them home…and I did. Went and bought semi-precious stones, crystals and wires, and it ended up becoming a 200-piece pendant series. That was my first large series. While all this was going on, I also had partnered with 3 of my best friends in opening a small dance studio in Silver Lake, CA, where once a month we organized art shows on the weekends. So, on one of those weekends I showcased my 200 necklaces for sale. I did not have any displays, nor did I know how to properly display them, so I hung an off-white silk on the wall and pinned all my necklaces on that silk. Nevertheless, the crowd was very responsive and I ended up selling a lot of them that weekend. That’s how this started. I fell head over heels in love with jewelry making. A couple of years later I quit my stable job at the architectural firm and have been a full-time designer since. It’s been a difficult road full of obstacles, but never for one second I had any regrets. It is an absolute joy having this as a job. I’ve participated in hundreds of fashion shows, trunk shows, art and wine exhibits, trade shows, etc., as well as being a wanted artist in many stores and boutiques over the years.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s been far from being a smooth road but I think these kinds of risky and unstable endeavors never have a silky path. My previous job was very unchallenging for me at times, I felt like my creativity and imagination are going to complete waste, and I really wanted something inspiring and challenging instead. And, so, I got it…with all the financial instability along with it. In handmade jewelry business, you never know how your month will close, sometimes it’s fantastic full of surprises, sometimes it’s not. Of course, over the years, things have changed to where I now make less mistakes as far as picking the right shows to invest in, etc. Another thing I had promised myself before I quit my previous job was to never fall into the temptation of making commercial/easy money jewelry, and I’ve stuck to that motto 100%, because I truly believe that the dishonesty in my creativity would eventually fry my brain and kill my imagination. I need to respect myself at all times, hence earn the respect and appreciation of my clientele. The road has not been smooth, but at any given time I’d take the rockiest of the roads over the mundane boring stable job.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with YevArts Wearable Art Jewelry – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I create handmade wearable art jewelry. I specialize in and am known for my knitted wire work, crocheted chain work, incorporation of antiques in my work, re-cycling and re-purposing unwanted useless objects in my work.
I am proud of my out of the box approach to jewelry making. What sets my apart is breaking the unwritten conventional rules about what jewelry should look like. Here is some more information about YevArts.
Yevarts unique designs have many influences fusing industrial and ethnic, bold and dainty, simple and complex shapes in a brave modern statement. It is an exquisite range, perfect for the woman whose demeanor commands attention… a woman with unique individual sense of fashion and adventurous taste!
YevArts currently works in a few versatile lines, ranging from demure and conservative to bold and chaotic, each representing and dictating a quite distinctive style. Here is a description of some of those lines:
Precious Mesh collection is created by Yeva’s unique technique to make knitted or crocheted 18K gold-filled, sterling silver, copper, brass, gunmetal, stainless steel, or bronze wire meshes and intertwining and weaving them around natural semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals, and freshwater pearls.
Leaf of Nature collection is made of real natural leaves dipped in various metals, creating a firm surface yet preserving the actual leaf inside of the metal finish. The leaf is then adorned by crystals, pearls and chains.
Vintage Modern Fusion is a bold and artsy collection fusing the old and the new. Art Deco period brooches of early 1900s mixed with modern day crocheted chains, 1910 German chainmail purses serving as a bed for Edwardian and Victorian pins.
Haute Couture collection is another portrayal of modern antiquity. Medley of 20th century pearl and rhinestone elements in conjunction with vintage pearl collars, recycled furs and sequence beads create large statement bib necklaces…made to adorn any simple elegant cocktail dress…a true show stopper.
Whimsical Tangles collection is tangled, crocheted chain abstractions executed with elegance and sophistication yet staying in asymmetrical balance. This line is not for the wall flower or demure woman but for the woman whose style commands attention.
Swarovski Treasures is a fresh and bold collection where stunning Swarovski crystal pendants glow in vibrant shades. The wildly crocheted chains over the transparent rocks give them opulence and glamour… sparkle, chains, and a free spirited design…
Functional Art collection is another one of the artist’s exclusive one-of-a-kind lines… sculptured wire mesh with pearls, crystals and metal beads…full of color yet subdued… bulky yet feminine… this line is for the woman who loves the “Runway Look” and spreads bold sense of style.
Motley Mesh collection is made of wire lace stretched over round-shaped rings, adorned with metal ornaments and rocks… timeless in its classic elegance yet modern in its vibrancy…
If you are eager to accentuate your style with wearable art jewelry YevArts is the right choice!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
The biggest change is that I finally have a very nice online shop where people from all over the world can check out my work, read the descriptions of them and pick what they like for themselves, instead of limiting my clientele to the locals only. My future plans are to get the word out to a wider audience via my online shop, to develop my Etsy shop as well since I believe it’s a great platform to reach people who truly appreciate handmade work. I’d also like to spend more time working and creating, and less time doing trade shows, which I hope my online sale will eventually allow me to.
Pricing:
- Gift items under $100
- One of a kind pieces $125 and up
- Earrings under $100
- Statement pieces $200 and up
- Antique Vintage pieces $250 and up
Contact Info:
- Address: Tujunga, CA
- Website: www.yevartsjewelry.com
- Phone: (818) 636-0545
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yevartsjewelry/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YevArtsJewelry/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/yevarts-handcrafted-jewelry-los-angeles
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/YevArtsJewelry
Image Credit:
27 Hill Studios Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
