Last spring, mother-daughter duo Mitra Vahhaji and Shireen Amehdi found themselves with more free time during quarantine to dip into their creativity. Turning to jewelry, a craft that has always been a huge a part of their lives, they decided to combine skillsets to develop their own cohesive jewelry line called Mishivah. “Jewelry is a great way to express yourself while still maintaining a sense of style,” Amehdi says. “There are so many options and it is so personal.”
Though their services are new to the market, their journey to get to this point is a long one.
Interested in jewelry design since she was a kid, Vahhaji decided to try creating her own pieces in 2000. Developing designs, she learned how to craft an array of styles by attending creator classes and metal working classes across the nation. By navigating the jewelry world through markets and conventions, Vahhaji picked up on how to source, create and market jewelry and make a living from it. Vahhaji began selling her work in local shops and eventually introduced the craft to her daughter through a beading project. Fast forward to 2020, what began as a fun thing to do together eventually turned into a creative collaborative project, that became Mishivah, a brand derived from their first and last names.
Mixing traditional style with eclectic designs, these one-of-a-kind handmade necklaces, bracelets and earrings are versatile for any wardrobe. Made to order to decrease waste, each piece is created from ethically sourced natural materials like semi-precious and precious gemstones, and metals. Allowing the colors, textures and shapes of the stones to shine through, Vahhaji says that their inspiration for each piece is drawn from nature itself, art and their worldly travels. Using Mother Nature as the backbone of each creation, they incorporate their own style along with classic vintage trends for structural guidance. “We want to make pieces that are timeless,” Vahhaji says. “If you wear it today you can wear it 10 years from now, that is our biggest focus.” In addition to their unique designs, they also offer custom workings from personalized designs and sizing. “It is so fun to bring peoples’ ideas to life,” Amehdi says. “I think that it is really special.”
Operating their online business from here and Los Angeles, Calif. (where Amehdi now resides), the duo balances the work load between design development, jewelry creation, marketing and business. First conceptualizing the designs together, Vahhaji then takes a hands-on approach in creating the pieces while Amehdi manages the website, social media and custom clients.
With expansion hopes, Vahhaji and Amehdi will continue to center their business on ethical practices in sourcing and shipment to reduce their carbon footprint by doing things like shipping orders in packaging made from recycled materials and providing designs made to last.
“We really put our heart and soul into every piece that we make,” Vahhaji says. “A piece of our love is sent out (to each client).”
