I met Rada from Zaver and Mor near the beginning of my business. I remember following her on Instagram and loving how passionate she was about supporting the artists she represents. Her love of the craft of jewelry-making and the people behind the craft came through every post and I knew that I wanted to work with a shop owner like her. Picking the store owners that you work with is like dating – it pays to be choosy.
With Rada, I feel like I have found a collaboration partner, someone who has an eye for singular creative voices, and wants to work with them. She and I have put together so many bespoke projects, where she trusts me as the designer, and I trust her as the tastemaker. Our collaborations use a mix of unique stones that she finds, and my settings and textures. Each one has been a treasure to make and I have felt like my role as designer and maker is respected throughout the process. There is so much trust and I love that Rada gets it.
Zaver and Mor is a gorgeous shop – warm and inviting, kind and thoughtful – just like Rada. Her support for the Bay Area jewelry scene comes through everything she does – a former president of the Women’s Jewelry Association – and single-handedly the person who got me involved by persistently hosting the WJA events within blocks of my studio and then checking in to make sure I was going. It worked, and this year I’m a mentor with the WJA Northern California chapter. She made it clear that it was important to support and take part in our community because those are her priorities.
I think the best advice I received about business really applies to anything in life, but it is to go with your gut.
Get to know Rada a little more and find out what sparks her interests.
How did you start doing what you are doing?
If I really think about it, the idea of having a shop was always in the back of my mind. However, originally it was going to be a bookstore and my good friend was going to have a tea shop next door. My love for jewelry is definitely a result of my mom loving jewelry and it being a huge part of our Indian culture. In 2010, I left a job in financial planning and finally felt ready to try out jewelry retail. I worked for a small jewelry store down in the Peninsula and loved it. That sealed the deal for me and I began the journey of opening my own jewelry shop to curate and support artists and designers that I felt connected to.
What is the best advice you have received about business?
I think the best advice I received about business really applies to anything in life, but it is to go with your gut.
When people ask, how did you decide on doing this for the store or why do you carry this artist vs another artist, I always say that I went with my gut. I choose the work of people who I’m drawn to because if I’m excited about it, then I can sell it.
I think it’s about sometimes having to make the tough choice and at least having no regret that you didn’t try something your way.
And going with your gut isn’t always about making the right choice or winning – I think it’s about sometimes having to make the tough choice and at least having no regret that you didn’t try something your way.
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