June 8, 2026 |
BLINGIN’ IT IS TEN’S ONLINE SERIES WHERE WE SPOTLIGHT THE INNOVATORS AND CHANGE-MAKERS OF THE JEWELLERY WORLD.
Fine jewellery, but make it wood. That’s precisely what Susana Vega does. In a category traditionally defined by precious metals and gemstones, the Venezuelan-born, Texas-based designer turns to a material that feels far more elemental. Wood carries a different kind of luxury – one rooted in warmth, tactility and individuality. Its natural grain ensures that no two pieces are ever quite the same, lending each creation a quiet sense of character. For Vega, whose work is deeply informed by nature, memory and craft, the material offers a way of reimagining fine jewellery through a more organic lens.
Across a palette of richly toasted oak tones, Vega has carved out a universe of sculptural jewels that feel both statement-making and deeply grounding. Founded in Venezuela in 2008, her eponymous label began where all good stories do: at home. More specifically, within her family’s goldsmith workshop, where she spent her childhood immersed in the rhythms of making. Growing up among artisans and jewellers, she absorbed the lessons that would later shape the foundations of her practice – one defined by craftsmanship, experimentation and storytelling.
While studying industrial design at Universidad de los Andes, Vega simultaneously began building her brand. After relocating to the United States and expanding the label internationally, her pursuit of knowledge only deepened. In 2019, she trained in goldsmithing with Ursi Galletti in Houston, before undertaking a wax-modelling course at the Colombian School of High Jewellery the following year. Her work has long explored an eclectic material language, spanning resin, gold-filled wire and especially glass beading. More recently, however, wood has emerged as a defining medium – opening up an unexpectedly poetic new chapter for the brand.
Drawing inspiration from art, nature, mathematics, geometry and the Latin women who surround her, Vega’s practice balances technical precision with emotional resonance. The result is jewellery that feels both meticulously sculpted and intensely personal – pieces designed to accompany life’s celebrations, transitions and everything in between.
Her latest collection, Soto, is where that vision fully comes into focus. Comprising a chunky bangle, sculptural ear cuff, pendant and a series of earring silhouettes, the collection places reclaimed sustainable wood in Petén, Guatemala, finished with beeswax and sometimes coffee roasting centre stage. Rather than disguise the material, Vega allows its natural grain, warmth and character to speak for themselves, punctuated only by subtle gold-plated brass accents. Each piece is handcrafted in Guatemala through a meticulous process of shaping, sanding and finishing, employing traditional woodworking techniques passed down through generations of artisans. No two pieces are exactly alike. The collection becomes not only an exploration of materiality, but also a celebration of cultural preservation and enduring craftsmanship.
Innovation has become synonymous with Vega’s practice. In 2022, she was named Accessories Designer of the Year at the Latin American Fashion Summit. Her work has since appeared across numerous international publications and her jewellery appeared on the cover of Vogue Latin America’s August 2022 issue. The brand has also partnered with leading retailers including Moda Operandi and Intermix.
Below, we speak to Vega all about her memories of her family’s workshop, her creative referencing and her preservation of traditional methods and materials.
Soto
On Her Venezuelan Heritage
Venezuela, to me, is a mixture of colour, joy, nostalgia and dreams. I see Venezuelan women as incredibly powerful; they do everything. They are mothers, they work hard, they dream fearlessly and they fight for those dreams, all while paying close attention to how they present themselves to the world. There is always intention, beauty and pride in the way they carry themselves. My brand carries a little bit of all of that. You can see it in the versatility of the jewellery, in the use of colour and detail, but also in the timeless extravagance that defines us as Latin women.
On Childhood Memories At Her Family’s Goldsmith Workshop
Being in our jewellery workshop was my greatest joy as a child. Going there was always the best part of my days and vacations. In fact, whenever I was punished for something, my mother would say, “You’re staying home today; you’re not going to the jewellery workshop”. For me, that was the ultimate punishment. Walking into that space felt like entering a fascinating universe where something exciting was always happening. I watched my father work with extraordinary precision and attention to detail, teaching his team, dealing with the stress of pending deliveries, or the panic that would erupt when a ruby fell onto the floor and everyone would search for it together because nothing could be wasted; everything mattered.
I also loved seeing the clients arrive and leave excited about the jewellery we had created for them. I have always been deeply curious, and I observed the entire creative process with fascination. Even though I never formally sat at the jeweller’s bench beyond soldering and polishing a few pieces, ask me anything about jewellery and I will probably know the answer. I grew up believing that anything I could imagine, I could create.
In our workshop, mediocrity simply did not have a place. My parents worked incredibly hard every single day to build a name, a reputation and the admiration of the people in our town. That legacy continues today, even after the passing of my father, who died at only 34 years old. The passion for jewellery, craftsmanship and hard work that I witnessed there still lives in my daily life, and I hope one day to pass it on to my daughter as well.
On Nature, Art and Latin Women
From each of these seemingly distant worlds, I take elements that make complete sense together in my mind. The sculptural forms and striking volumes in my jewellery reference art. The organic lines and inspirations drawn from landscapes, seeds or sunsets come from nature. And colour, texture, detail, scale and versatility are my way of placing women at the centre of everything I create. With every piece and every collection, I search for that sweet spot where, for example, a sunset over the ocean can be translated into a sculptural form with harmonious proportions and colours that enhance the face of the woman wearing it and reflect who she is, how she wants to present herself and where she wants to go. That is exactly what happens with our Sunset model.
On The Mathematical References In Her Designs
When I was studying industrial design at university, I remember the exact day we learned about these concepts. I was completely fascinated and instantly fell in love with them. These mathematical sequences exist everywhere. They are present in nature and have later been applied to design, art and architecture. They are part of what makes the human eye perceive things as harmonious and beautiful. Once you understand the theory behind them, applying them becomes both natural and fascinating. Even if someone knows nothing about mathematics, they can usually still sense when one shape feels more harmonious than another. The proportions between height and width, the arrangement and composition of elements; the human eye naturally perceives these relationships through an innate sense of balance and beauty, which later became understood through mathematical sequences such as the golden ratio. Because of this, harmony and proportion are always present in my designs. Nothing is accidental. Every curve, every dimension, every placement of a metallic element over a body made of glass beads is carefully considered to create something more beautiful, intriguing, and harmonious. If you measured many of my designs, you would find traces of the golden ratio throughout them.
On What She Is Most Proud Of Thus Far
It is difficult to choose only one thing, but if I had to, I would say I am most proud of being able to continue my family’s legacy while building my own path and story without ever forgetting where I come from. I am also deeply proud of being able to show my daughter my universe; the work, discipline, and passion behind building dreams, and seeing her become interested in creating her own through fashion and design.
On Her Latest Collection, Soto
This collection is deeply symbolic to me. I wanted to create pieces that could transcend time and space, but above all, I wanted to honour the beauty of cedar wood; its natural colour, texture, and warmth. That is why the Ovo bracelet is, to me, the central piece of the collection. It is a sculptural and highly striking piece with an oval form that enhances the beauty of the wood while feeling almost like a wearable artwork. The central metallic element creates a contrast that makes it irresistible to admire. The cedar wood we use comes from Guatemala and was hand-carved by extraordinary artisans in Petén, where wood craftsmanship is approached with great respect and sustainability.
On The Preservation Of Traditional Methods And Natural Materials
For a very long time, I dreamed of working with wood, but because it is such a natural material, I wanted to approach it in the most respectful and thoughtful way possible. For me, having this collection hand-carved was a way of honouring the historical craftsmanship behind woodworking while aligning it with our brand’s deep respect for artisanal processes as a meaningful way of creating. Preserving artisanal techniques is incredibly important to me because these processes speak about history, culture, and the richness of each country. They also give soul and meaning to the objects we create.
The cedar wood we use comes from Guatemala and was hand-carved by incredible artisans in Petén, where woodworking is done in a highly sustainable way. Our jewellery has also been polished using beeswax. All of these details are among the things I am most proud to share about the Soto collection. Soto also aligns perfectly with our brand universe because our use of different materials; gold-plated brass, our iconic glass beads, stones, pearls, and now wood, always carries intention. Each collection is an opportunity to tell a new story while proving that beauty can exist across many different materials and still remain harmoniously connected through the sculptural silhouettes and volumes that define the DNA of Susana Vega jewellery.
On Her Creative Process
The creative process is a journey filled with highs and lows, forward movement and moments of returning back again. Everything begins with an idea, but that idea can emerge from many places. Sometimes inspiration comes from the desire to create something entirely new and different. Other times it comes from a seed, a Venezuelan landscape, a Latin woman vacationing in Italy, a work of art, or simply from a shape that suddenly appears in my mind.
Wherever the inspiration comes from, I begin by researching it deeply. I collect images and create mood boards, but I also search for music because music helps me define the emotional atmosphere of a collection. Once I have those visual and emotional references, I begin sketching. Very quickly after that, I move into sculpting with clay or Play-Doh because I am much more skilled at modelling than drawing. After approving those forms, I return to technical drawings and then move into 3D modelling to test proportions and structures. Once the designs are finalised, I choose the colours for the collection, and that is when the magic truly begins.
We create samples and test everything; the weight, comfort, how the piece frames the face, the technical execution, and the optimisation of time and materials. Once everything feels perfect, production begins, followed by photography, campaign development and finally the launch.
On Her Background In Industrial Design
Studying industrial design was crucial for me as a designer because it allowed me to define and merge two worlds that often seem opposite; the industrial and the artisanal. Both are essential to me, and I have learned immensely from each of them. Industrial design taught me how technology and industrial processes can be used to develop products and create hybrid techniques. The possibilities are endless. Understanding how products are made, along with the different processes and materials available, gives me the confidence to push boundaries because when I design something, I already understand how it can be created, even if it is technically complex.
Beyond being a designer, I also have a design studio and laboratory inside my office, which gives me incredible freedom and speed when developing new ideas.
On What Memories Mean To Her
From a very young age, I witnessed how meaningful jewellery becomes in people’s lives. Jewellery transforms into a chest of memories; the earrings you wore to your beach wedding, the piece you took with you on a trip to Spain or Peru, the jewel gifted by someone you love, or the one you bought because you wanted to feel powerful and beautiful. Jewellery becomes connected not only to moments, but also to emotions. How did you feel while wearing it? What was the emotion attached to that memory? That is why I create jewellery that makes women feel incredible when they wear it, because I know they will choose these pieces for meaningful moments or for the days when they need an extra sense of confidence. That is when I know they are collecting memories within them.
On The Susana Vega Customer
The woman who wears Susana Vega is determined, detail-oriented, and unafraid of standing out. She appreciates art, beautiful places and travel. Dressing herself is an art form and a ritual for her, even within a busy life. She is versatile, confident, ambitious and knows exactly what she wants, and how to achieve it.
On What Is Coming Next
I am in a constant search for innovation. I am excited about continuing to grow our brand not only through jewellery, but also through utilitarian and artistic objects that I dream of creating. No matter what I design, protecting our brand DNA is extremely important to me. Everything must maintain that sculptural energy; simple forms filled with detail, versatility and boldness.
There are very exciting collections coming, featuring new materials that will bring a fresh perspective to the brand while continuing to deepen our storytelling. Above all, I want to continue inspiring the women who have spent years building their own personal collections with our pieces; the clients who have supported us, connected with our vision and genuinely love what we create.
Photography courtesy of Susana Vega.
