Avigail Adam
@AVIGAILADAMJEWELRY ENCHANTED, ROMANTIC FOUNDER + DESIGNER OF AVIGAIL ADAM JEWELRY.
Did you always know you wanted to design jewelry/accessories? What was your path?
Jewelry design was a huge hobby of mine since a very young age. I started with making beaded pieces and gave them out as gifts to friends. I didn't always believe this could be something I could actually make a living from, but I always seriously enjoyed creating jewelry. Eventually I went to study Archaeology in the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. After graduating I took off to travel the world for a few years. Although my path was not always heading directly to designing jewelry, I feel that everything that happened was a crucial piece of the puzzle. My Archaeology studies inspire me constantly. Same goes for my travels around the world and the places I’ve visited. My path is what makes me me today.
What are your first memories of jewelry; what got you excited?
My first memories are probably from my grandma’s house from when I was very young. My grandma didn't throw out anything and she had piles of vintage stuff all over the place, jewelry included. I loved going through everything, searching for ultimate treasures to surface. I remember the smells and the feelings I had rummaging through those piles; those were magical moment for the young me. I'm sure that was the beginning of my fascination with both vintage and jewelry.
What influenced you to start your own jewelry brand?
One day I was visiting my cousins in LA and while walking around I found this little shop that had real leaves, acorns and pinecones dipped in gold. I decided to buy a few and made some jewelry pieces from them. Although I didn't know it at the time, that was a big inspiration for me in bringing my vision forward. After that I went backpacking for a few years around the world. And while in a remote beach in Brazil, I looked into the ocean and asked myself where do I want to see myself in a few years from now. The answer that surfaced was that I wanted to be a jewelry designer. I didn't know how I would get there. But once I set my intentions and brought them out to the world, I feel that the universe was willing to show me the way to get there.
How would you describe your design esthetic in 3 words?
Whimsical, magical, ethereal.
What/Who inspires you when designing your jewelry/accessories?
I'm forever inspired by nature. My garden, flowers, leaves, and the trees around me. Natural water sources. The forest behind my house, the river in the front, the little animals coming through my garden. Fairytales. History. Myth. Ancient civilizations.
When/where do you feel the most creative?
When hiking, when sitting in my garden, when sitting in my studio in front of a pile of raw findings, especially raw brass leaves and flowers, and just playing around with them, figuring out interesting ways to wear them.
How do you keep creative each day with your work? Do you have any nontraditional sources of inspiration? Is there anything that helps you get into a creative mood?
There are lots of days I don't feel creative at all and that's ok. I learned that creativity is not something you can force. It needs to come to you and flow out of you. I need to be in the right head space, be relaxed and not have a huge to-do list in front of me. Once I have that space it's very easy to get in tune with my creative side and let it flow.
What are your most treasured design tools? Do you have any tools or routines (design or otherwise) that have become essential to your work experience?
My secret amazing glue-it-all adhesive, my pliers and my soldering iron. I don't have any routine to be honest, and the daily projects change on a regular basis.
Do you have a daily practice that helps you stay motivated and inspired?
My husband built a 3-story tree house in the backyard for the kids. When I get a chance I like sitting there on the top with a cup of tea in the mornings while looking at the Delaware river flowing below. It's a type of meditation in a way. When I do that the day seems to become more relaxing and things fall into place. Except that I try to spice up my creative flow by investing my time in other creative projects such as pottery, painting, dried flowers creations and such. It keeps things interesting and that way I always come back to making jewelry recharged and more grounded and energized.
What do you like the most about your work?
My favorite aspect of the job is having a vision and seeing it come into life. My second favorite aspect is seeing how girls connect to my pieces when trying them on and me having the option to put my pieces on girls, do their hair really nicely and try to bring out something in them, some goddessy aspect, by wearing that specific piece.
What has been the biggest challenge?
Letting go of hard feelings when seeing people copying my work, trying to remember that it's actually a big compliment.
What is your most treasured antique piece?
That's such a hard question. I normally try not to get too attached to pieces and enjoy more the aspect of sourcing a piece with the thought of selling it to somebody else who will appreciate it. But yeah, every once in a while I get a piece that I just can't seem to let it go. Come to think of it, I have so many! If I had to pick one it would probably be my French Victorian wood dresser. It has a huge mirror connected to a set of drawers. The wood is gilded and looks so beautiful, with hand drawn flowers all over it.
