Lani Harmony shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Lani, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I think the thing I’m most proud of building — that very few people outside the industry see — is the design backbone of The Urban Charm. Most people know us for our finished jewelry, but what they don’t see is the creative engine that makes it possible: our CAD design work, our wax prototyping process, and the meticulous engineering that happens long before a gemstone is set or a chain is clasped.
Behind the scenes, we’re turning napkin sketches, raw ideas, or vague visions into fully realized, precision 3D models. We then create wax prints that let our clients hold their designs in their hands before a single drop of metal is poured. It’s part art, part science, and a lot of problem-solving.
That unseen process is what allows us to create truly one-of-a-kind pieces — whether for a jewelry brand building a new collection, or an individual crafting a personal heirloom. It’s where the magic begins, and I’m proud that The Urban Charm is a trusted creative partner for so many designers, makers, and dreamers.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Lani Harmony, founder and designer behind The Urban Charm Inc.— a jewelry studio where bohemian artistry meets precision design. My journey into jewelry started the way a lot of creative stories do: with a deep love for making beautiful things, a willingness to experiment, and more than a few late nights at my workbench.
In the early days, I was hand-fabricating every piece and sketching designs on paper. But I quickly realized that the magic wasn’t just in the final sparkle — it was in the problem-solving that happened behind the scenes. I fell in love with CAD design and wax prototyping because they let me take any idea, no matter how rough, and bring it to life with precision. Today, I can take someone’s napkin doodle, a vintage heirloom they want reimagined, or even just a story they tell me — and transform it into a 3D model, a tangible wax, and eventually a finished piece of fine jewelry.
The Urban Charm has grown from a small creative dream into a design and prototyping resource for makers across the country. We work with independent designers launching their first collections, established brands looking for technical support, and everyday people who just want to bring a personal piece of jewelry to life.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that I’ve had to release is the version of myself that didn’t believe I belonged here. For a long time, I carried this quiet doubt — that as a woman, I might not be taken seriously in a space so heavily dominated by men, especially on the technical side of jewelry like CAD design, casting, and prototyping.
Early in my career, I sometimes played small to avoid criticism or brushed off my own ambitions to stay in a safer, more ‘acceptable’ lane. But every time I pushed past a setback or figured out a new skill — from mastering CAD programs to running a wax printer — I chipped away at that old version of me.
The truth is, growth comes with a lot of trial and error. I’ve had projects that didn’t go as planned, tools that broke mid-process, and learning curves that felt like mountains. But instead of letting those moments confirm my doubts, I started treating them as proof of my resilience.
Today, The Urban Charm not only designs and creates our own collections, but also offers CAD and wax prototyping services to other makers and brands across the country. Expanding into these services meant stepping fully into the technical arena I once questioned my right to be in — and owning the fact that I’m good at it. Letting go of that old belief has allowed me to grow as a designer, a business owner, and as a woman who knows she belongs here.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me patience, humility, and the kind of problem-solving you can’t learn from a win. Success feels amazing, but it rarely asks you to slow down and examine who you are at your core. Failure, setbacks, and those moments where nothing seems to be working — those are the real teachers.
When I first started offering CAD design and wax prototyping, there were so many technical hurdles. Machines broke. Files wouldn’t export correctly. Castings failed. In the moment, it felt like everything was falling apart — but every single one of those challenges taught me how to think differently, troubleshoot faster, and trust my ability to figure things out.
Suffering also showed me how to keep showing up, even when no one is watching. It’s easy to feel strong when everything’s going well. It’s a lot harder — but far more transformative — to keep creating, keep learning, and keep pushing forward when you’re tired, frustrated, or doubting yourself.
Those lessons are baked into The Urban Charm now. They’ve shaped the way I work with clients, the way I guide them through the design and prototyping process, and the way I handle challenges in the studio. Success is beautiful, but suffering gave me the tools to sustain it.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies the jewelry industry tells itself is that artistry and technical skill are separate — that you can either be a creative or a technician, but not both. That mindset has kept so many talented designers from embracing the tools that could bring their visions to life, and it’s kept the technical side of the industry from feeling as accessible as it should.
Another lie? That the process should stay mysterious. A lot of traditional jewelry making has been guarded like a secret club, with the assumption that clients and even up-and-coming designers don’t need to know how the magic happens — only that it does. While there’s beauty in the mystique, I believe transparency builds connection and trust.
At The Urban Charm, we break both of those myths. We blend artistry and engineering every single day through our CAD and wax prototyping services, and we invite our clients into the process. They get to see their idea evolve from a sketch, to a 3D model, to a wax they can actually hold before it’s cast.
The truth is, when you merge creativity with technology and open the doors for others to learn, you don’t lose magic — you create more of it.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
If I laid down my name, role, and possessions, what would remain is my character and my knowledge — and honestly, those are the two things that built everything else.
My character is rooted in persistence, creativity, and the belief that if you don’t know how to do something yet, you can learn. That mindset has carried me through every learning curve in this business, from mastering CAD design to troubleshooting a wax print at 2 a.m.
And my knowledge — the skills I’ve gained over years of trial, error, and exploration — is something no one can take away. I could lose my tools, my title, even my studio space, but I’d still know how to take an idea and turn it into something real. I’d still understand how to guide a client from a rough concept to a finished piece they can treasure.
Those two things — character and knowledge — are my real foundation. They’re what allow me to rebuild, reimagine, and keep creating no matter what changes around me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theurbancharm.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theurbancharm
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lani-harmony-00308612
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/theurbancharm
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theurbancharm
Image Credits
Erin Leigh
www.pulpoc.com
Soleless Sandals
www.solelesssandals.com
