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From repurposing heirlooms to customizing snake-script pendants, Jonne Amaya does it all. Jonne, a fine jewelry designer known for her sustainability and artistry, was born in Mexico City. Her designs are influenced by the city and her brand is built on the warmth that sets Mexican culture apart–known for its old world feel, customization, and personal relationships.
Her work features custom revamps, exquisite one-of-a-kind engagement rings, and a small capsule collection of everyday fine pieces–and her modern take on the Diamond Cigar Band is the hottest must-have piece of the year. But, unlike many DTC brands, Jonne prioritizes taste and authenticity over tech. Her bridal work is uniquely custom–Amaya both sources stones for her customers and works directly with pieces they inherited. Similarly, her fine jewelry is made-to-order. Amaya stands by the intimacy and individuality in every piece, “always metal prominent, never mass-produced or ready to ship.”
So, we tapped the designer, who spent her childhood between Mexico City and California, to tell us more about the city that continues to inspire her and the legacy of modern, custom jewelry that she’s now building in LA.
Tell us about the influence Mexico City has on your designs.
“Mexico City has a lot of visible history in its buildings- the architecture is really diverse. There are a lot of art deco buildings, mid century and colonial period architecture. Some places can really teleport you to another lifetime. Mexico is much more inspiring than a perfectly planned city like much of California / Orange County. You can really find yourself being in awe of certain areas of town and it reflects in creative inspiration.
The first piece I designed in Mexico looked like an old coin. It was multi-tone and had an Elephant in the center.”
Are there any stones or materials you source there?
“I took a lapidary class on how to shape Amber. Amber is such a special gem. It’s not a stone but it’s been categorized as a gem. its fossilized tree resin. It isn’t one I use often because we focus more on fine jewelry, but learning to shape a Gem like Amber was incredible. The process is with water and sand paper. It is so interesting to make.”
How did you jumpstart your career there?
“I studied bench jewelry at Academia de Orfebres, which is a beautiful little studio that has space for 8-10 students at a time. What’s great about studying art in Mexico is that there was more priority in the skill, rather than so much emphasis on theory. The whole studio revolved around working on the bench. There wasn’t much planning, instead the studio owner would help us figure out next steps as we went on with the project. There was a ton of trial and error, which is very real in jewelry making and really prepared me for the hectic world of Custom Design.”
Any #AbovePar recommendations in Mexico City?
“Plaza Rio de Janeiro- Such a great example of how eclectic Mexico City can be. A plaza based in La Roma, with retro apartments in tree lined streets. The Focal point is a plaza that has a real size replica of the statue of Davide in the center of the park. There are restaurants below all buildings for drinking coffee, people watching or going out to dinner. The whole area surrounding is beautiful. On the parallel street behind this plaza is Colima st, which has some of the best restaurants in La Roma. Santo Hand roll bar, El TIgre SIlencio, Rosetta.”
Shop our editor’s favorite Jonne Amaya pieces below.
Diamond Cigar Band
From $2,300
Snake-Script Pendant
From $2,350
Emerald Ear Climber
From $1,200
Name Plate Choker
From $9,350
Origins Bangle
From $5,800
Rio Ring
From $4,000
Horn Earrings
From $1,700
