Episode 223 Part 2: How Gabriela Sierra Made the Jump from Packaging Design to Jewelry Design

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How Gabriela produces jewelry in Mexico, manages her business from Montreal, and sells her jewelry worldwide.
• Gabriela’s favorite stone to work with, and how she chooses and sources gems for her colorful jewelry.
• How moving from Mexico to Canada (and experiencing seasons for the first time) influenced Gabriela’s work.
• What it means for jewelry to be slow made.
• Why COVID prompted Gabriela to transition from packaging design to jewelry design, and how she overcame her hesitation to call herself a jewelry maker.

About Gabriela Sierra

Gaby, designer and creator of Gabriela Sierra jewelry, is anything but a minimalist. Unafraid of color, she plays with bold shapes, textures and asymmetry. Her meticulously crafted pieces are meant to be conversation starters.

With a background in Industrial Design followed by a variety of courses at Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School, Gabriela Sierra merges design and fashion to create unique sculptural jewelry. The brand seeks to reflect the spirit of the slowmade process (quality over quantity). Founded in 2021, Gabriela Sierra is committed to good design by focusing on quality materials and the revaluation of craftsmanship.

Her work has been shown at different worldwide exhibitions:

• "Todo es Diseño" Queretaro, Mexico 2021
• "The Fab" Milano Jewelry Week 2022
• "Cluster Contemporary Jewelry", London 2022
• "The Earring Show", Vancouver, Canada 2023
• "Earrings Galore 2023 - 2024", United States

 

• Additional Resources:
• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

Photos available on TheJewelryJourney.com

Transcript:

Expertly combining bold colors and shapes in her jewelry, it’s clear that Gabriela Sierra has an eye for design. Beginning her career in furniture and packaging design, Gabriela made her lifelong dream of becoming a jewelry maker come true in 2021, when she opened Gabriela Sierra Jewelry. She joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about how her upbringing in Mexico and her current home in Montreal influence her work; why her business follows “slow made” principles; and how she became more confident about calling herself a jewelry designer. Read the episode transcript here.

 

Welcome to the Jewelry Journey, exploring the hidden world of art around you. Because every piece of art has a story, and jewelry is no exception.

Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is the second part of a two-part episode. If you haven't heard part one, please head to TheJewelryJourney.com.

Today, I'm talking with Gabriela Sierra of Gabriela Sierra Jewelry. Welcome back.

So, everything might not be handcrafted, but you have chosen those individual stones to go together or the kind of stone to work with. For instance, will you choose a faceted stone to work with? Could you have a combination of a faceted stone with a cabochon with a smooth curve?

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