Our Process

THE BACKSTORY

Our careers have taken us to every corner of the globe.  For nearly 15 years, Betsy and her partners designed and sourced the finest furniture, textiles, and statement pieces internationally for some of this country's largest retailers.  But the best part of the job was getting to mingle with artists in India, Indonesia, and Europe, many of them supremely talented women.

We loved learning about their lives and livelihoods. And, we would always come home wearing some of their handmade artisan jewelry accessories. It dawned on us one day: we need to spread this joy around. 

At about the same time, over wine, another idea came to light: our friends are busy and had no way to access the artisan jewelry we had in mind. And so Joya was born!

OUR INSPIRATION

We are always collecting inspiration - intriguing color palettes, jewelry we see on our travels, and mostly vintage pieces that we spy at estate sales, markets, and sometimes in our loved one’s collections. 

For instance, our Heirloom Diamond Collection was inspired by Betsy's Grandmother’s art deco costume jewelry collection.  And, we created an entire Etruscan line that was inspired by original, antique Etruscan jewelry.

OUR DESIGN PROCESS

Our process begins in our studio in St. Louis each season.  We start with a simple sketch or drawing, and a tray of loose stones that Betsy works with to develop our color palette for each collection.  Those drawings are then sent to the artisans to begin development.

From there, Betsy approves renderings for sampling and then the team visits the artisans to approve final samples and finishes.

The entire process for handcrafted jewelry begins at least six months before our collection release.