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OUR STORY Octavia Elizabeth is a Los Angeles based fine jewelry brand started in 2016 by Octavia Zamagias, Founder and Chief Executive Officer. Inspired by everyday elegance and a commitment to sustainability, Octavia Elizabeth is focused on creating timeless fine jewelry for modern women and men seeking wearable and thoughtfully crafted pieces. Octavia Elizabeth pieces are handcrafted in Los Angeles and consciously sourced using the highest quality and ethical materials and mines around the world.
Fair working conditions, legitimate living wages and eco and ethical production are all paramount. No goods are produed or finished overseas to limit carbon emissions.
ABOUT OCTAVIA Born in Pennsylvania and based in Los Angeles, Octavia is a bench jeweller and goldsmith who founded her eponymous brand after graduating from the New Approach School in Nashville, TN. Octavia founded her brand on her desire to build a fine jewelry company with a commitment to sustainable practices. Comprised of both collections and bespoke work, Octavia’s signature style uses recycled 18kt gold with sustainably sourced diamonds and semi-precious stones in a selection of innovative and elegant cuts. Octavia oversees all the brand’s production partnerships and stone sourcing, ensuring the highest quality materials in every piece with an emphasis on thoughtful transparency and ethical practices.
When Octavia Zamagias, 31, started her jewelry company, Octavia Elizabeth, four years ago in her Santa Monica, Calif., apartment, she didn’t seek labels like “ethical,” “recycled,” or “sustainable.” Instead, her jewelry organically reflected that as an extension of her values.
Zamagias grew up in Pennsylvania and, prior to founding her company, worked in the wedding industry, fashion industry, and at the Honest Company, a consumer goods brand founded by Jessica Alba, under female leaders that inspired her to be more creative and, ultimately, her own boss.
Zamagias is a designer and trained bench jeweler known for her handcrafted gold hammering technique. When she started making jewelry, she created each piece from her bench in her Santa Monica studio apartment.
“When I started, I was creating custom and one-of-a-kind pieces and thought it would be a fun side project,” she says. “It grew to the point where I decided to create my own line.”
After a year and a half of creating pieces herself, she hired a team to meet the demand of her growing business and currently has a team of eight people in her L.A. production facility.
“I work with a production company I heavily vetted,” she says. “I tested out many places and had lots of eyes rolled at me when I asked to see the facilities or asked basic questions like: ‘Are your workers getting lunch breaks? Are they full-time? Do they have healthcare?’ I wanted to make sure that as I grew, the people that produced this jewelry were being treated well.”
Since founding the company four years ago, she has released five collections and has a thriving bespoke business, which includes engagement and wedding rings. Zamagias works exclusively with recycled 18K gold and conflict-free stones, as well as ensures ethical working conditions for her L.A. production facility and supplier partners overseas. overseas.
THE ITEMS
Octavia Elizabeth has five collections, Nesting Gem, Into the West, Heirloom, Ivy, and Imogen. Categories include earrings, bracelets, cuffs, rings, necklaces, anklets, and men’s jewelry. Her most popular collection is her original capsule collection, Nesting Gem, which includes everyday pieces that highlight her signature hammering technique.
“The hammer finish I love is very unique to Octavia Elizabeth and that comes from my training as a bench jeweler,” she says. “I like it to look very natural. I want our jewelry to be comfortable and not cumbersome. I always think it’s better to take a step back and think about what transcends time.”
The Gabby Hoops (US$675) are a bestseller, which come in a variety of sizes and optional diamond details. This classic gold hoop stands the test of time and can be worn daily from yoga to a nice dinner.
THE PRICE
Octavia Elizabeth’s jewelry ranges from US$295 to US$50,000, although many of her engagement rings and bespoke pieces well exceed that. Octavia Elizabeth has an e-commerce site and is also available in retailers across the country as well as online retailers including Net-A-Porter, Moda Operandi, and MatchesFashion.
DESCRIPTION
Zamagias works exclusively with recycled 18K gold and conflict-free stones, like diamond, emerald, sapphire, opal, and pearl. Her gold hammering technique, seen in many of her pieces, creates a beautiful organic look, especially when paired with baroque pearls or untreated colorful gems (no two stones are the same). She works with a variety of finishes in addition to hammering, like high shine and satin. Her pieces are meant to be worn daily and layered atop the other.
While each piece looks true to Octavia Elizabeth’s unique style, pieces range from statement, like this Oval Emerald Pendant (US$12,300) to dainty earrings, such as the Half-Carat Nesting Gem Studs (US$3,500). Zamagias also repurposes vintage and heirloom jewelry for modern wear. She also has a men’s line, which includes cuff money clips, and rings.
WHAT’S THE GOOD?
“Today, there are all these buzzwords and people want to build companies around sustainability,” she says. “For me, especially the fair labor aspect, there was no other option. I see jewelry very much as an ancient tradition and artistry. When people aren’t being treated fairly or paid well, it’s not going to come through in the pieces, either.”
Transparency is key for Octavia Elizabeth’s products. Her jewelry is ethically sourced using conflict-free stones and made with 100% recycled 18K gold from an SCS-certified gold supplier. This means that gold doesn’t come from conflict metals or illegal sources; factories have labor protections, environmental performance standards; and everything is traceable.
Even the casting, chains, and findings (the lobster clasp and jump ring) are made with recycled materials in the U.S., something extremely rare for a jewelry company as it’s more expensive to produce than sourcing directly from overseas.
The line is produced locally in L.A., in an effort to reduce carbon emissions from outsourcing production overseas. She also ensures fair labor for her employees both in the U.S. and overseas by partnering with transparent suppliers, who she heavily vets before working with them.
Sourcing from the best and most ethical suppliers, who provide great working conditions, is something very important to her. She says the diamond industry was once very dirty, but thanks to the Kimberley Process it’s much easier to source diamonds from conflict-free countries.
“The price per carat is more expensive when buying from conflict-free countries, but it doesn’t matter,” she says. “Frankly, I could not imagine wearing a piece of jewelry where you didn’t know where the stones came from. I care about that and my customers really care about that.”
WHAT’S NEXT
Octavia Elizabeth just recently partnered with a 75% female-run lapidary (a gem-cutting facility) in Pakistan,called Myne London Emeralds. They are safely cut and polished predominantly by women while providing them full-time jobs.
In an effort to not overproduce, Zamagias doesn’t adhere to a traditional fine jewelry schedule of launching collections multiple times a year, but instead when she feels inspired.
“Fine jewelry is seasonless, and if you make something that’s timeless, it shouldn't be something that is put back in your jewelry box,” she says. “I love when people wear pieces for years and years. That is also part of our sustainability aspect; we aren’t producing collections on a constant basis. We produce when I feel inspired, because I never want to overproduce.”
She recently launched her fifth collection called Imogen, meant to complement her existing collections. The collection features statement chain necklaces with large statement stones, such as emeralds and chrysoprase.
Octavia Elizabeth One of a Kind Yellow Beryl Drops with Eternal Diamond Hoops | Composition: 18KY, Diamonds and Yellow Beryl | 35 Cts. Yellow Beryl | 8.50 Cts. Diamonds VS G | Click to Close Hoop | Made in Los Angeles, CA