Who’s Who in Diamond Jewelry: Lizzie Mandler

When you first meet Lizzie Mandler, she makes a big impression with her signature stacks of luxe gold and diamond chains and bangles. She’s got that enviable no-fuss yet totally glam vibe. Dressed in all black, which she says is the best way to show off her designs, she runs a burgeoning business, including a store in L.A.’s buzzy Sycamore district, and still makes time to meet with clients for custom diamond engagement rings and jewelry.

Jewelry has been her calling since her teen years. With an inherent passion for the craft, she took traditional jewelry-making classes in Los Angeles and Florence, Italy, and has put her own spin on classic diamond jewelry that is modern, bold, and the kind of pieces that you can live in.

Only Natural Diamonds: Who’s your jewelry style icon?

Lizzie Mandler: Elsa Peretti is my ultimate icon. She was incredibly bold, edgy, and took risks. She created strong, sculptural pieces that were inspired by nature, bones, and snakes. I don’t have the same literal inspiration, but in terms of the sculptural quality of her work, I would say that in recent years my jewelry has headed more in that direction.

OND: Does your jewelry get you noticed?

LM: Yes! It happens a lot at the grocery store. The way I stack my necklaces and bracelets gets attention, and obviously the amount of jewelry that I wear. People often stop me and say, ‘I love your jewelry.’ And some find their way to my Instagram and website.

OND: How did you pick the diamond for your engagement ring?

LM: I was looking and looking and waiting to connect with a diamond the way I see my clients find the stone that speaks to them. I got married without a ring and a year after my wedding, my friend, who is a diamond dealer and knew I loved Asscher cuts, said he had a stone for me. It was a beautiful 3-carat Asscher cut diamond, and I set it flush in a gold ring with slightly hidden pave details, and I absolutely love it.

OND: What is the biggest change you’ve witnessed in bridal jewelry?

LM: People have the chutzpah to throw away the traditional notion of what an engagement ring should look like and choose rings that feel true to their personal style.

OND: Your most significant piece of jewelry?

LM: Aside from my wedding jewelry, I’ve worn this chunky 30-inch gold chain every day for the past eight years. It represents when I found my new voice for the brand: I went from dainty to a bolder look.

OND: Do you sleep with your jewelry or take it off?

LM: I leave my jewelry on except for my long chain. Jewelry is like my second skin. I love the way it ages. It tells your story, the way the color warms, and you see some nicks and dents.

OND: Your first design?

When I was 12, I got my ears pierced, and I had a vision for my first pair of earrings. When I couldn’t find them, my mother took me to Fred Siegel’s bead bar to make my own. Then I made and sold bead jewelry through high school. I took my first jewelry-making class at 16, and decided this is what I want to do. By nature, I’m a very stubborn person, so I’m not surprised that I made such a declaration and then stuck with it.

OND: The piece that started your business?

LM: A 22-karat gold wire bracelet that my brother requested with diamonds at both ends. Because my brother is a director and photographer and had a lot of celebrity clients, I got a lot of orders for that bracelet from Rihanna and David Beckham, and more.

OND: Why do you only work with natural diamonds?

LM: The craft of gold and diamond jewelry has a forever quality. The fact is these materials don’t change with time; they’re relatively indestructible and lasting. I think about the legacy of my pieces and natural diamonds are part of my ethos because they are lasting and have their own stories.

OND: Why commit the time and money to handmade chains as opposed to machine made?

LM: You can see and feel the difference. When you wear it, you feel the weight, they’re soft, they’re buttery. Yeah, it comes with a bigger price tag, and it also comes with imperfections, but to me, that’s what gives it character. It recalls the golden age of jewelry when there was real importance put on the technique and craft.

OND: Best part of the job?

LM: The interactions with my clients. When someone comes in and tells me, ‘I got this bracelet a few years ago, and I never take it off,’ or they say how much they love their engagement ring. Those moments are inextricably linked to my love for creating jewelry because it becomes part of someone else’s story.

OND: What are you excited about?

LM: Our new Liquid Gold collection. It’s an evolution of my signature knife-edge silhouette into something with more fluidity and movement, and it’s sculptural.

OND: What other art forms inspire you?

LM: I really love figure drawing; I started when I was 12 and it has always been my preferred form of fine art. I’ve always felt that studying figure drawing has helped me in jewelry, there’s something about studying the figure that has always inspired me.  

OND: What is your best way to recharge?

LM: I’ve had a hot yoga practice for almost 15 years and it’s a huge part of my mental self-care. I also have a Sunday ritual of doing contrast therapy (sauna and cold plunge), which is my favorite part of the weekends. I think grounding myself in my downtime really helps me stay focused during the week, and immensely helps my creativity.

OND: Your other dream job?

LM: I love to read. I have a dream one day to open a coffee/bookshop. I grew up going to Dutton Books almost every day after school with my mom, where we would wander the bookstore together and it’s a really cherished memory.