The Ājjana atelier

From inspiration to creation

At Ājjana, every piece begins long before the first bead is woven or gemstone is selected.

It begins with a feeling.

A memory from a girls’ trip. The energy of a concert crowd just before the lights go down. The warmth of golden hour after a long day. A quiet morning spent reading with a coffee in hand. A conversation, a destination, a chapter of life worth remembering.

These moments become the foundation of every collection.

Finding Inspiration

As an Events Manager, I spend my days creating experiences and bringing people together. I’m constantly inspired by the atmosphere of a room, the details that make a moment memorable, and the emotions people carry away with them.

Outside of work, inspiration comes from the life I love to live: travelling with friends, discovering new cities, attending concerts, reading, moving my body, and finding beauty in everyday rituals.

My Senegalese and Guinea-Bissau heritage also plays an important role in shaping the creative process. Rich traditions, storytelling, craftsmanship, colour, and community influence the way I approach design and the meaning I hope each piece carries.

Rather than designing jewellery around trends, I design around experiences and emotions.

 

I often ask myself:

“What moment is this piece made for?”

The answer might be a weekend escape, a summer evening abroad, a new chapter, a celebration with friends, a moment of confidence before walking into a room. Once that feeling is clear, the creative process begins.

Building the Moodboard

Every collection starts with a moodboard.

This is where ideas begin to take shape through imagery, colours, textures, places, and memories.

A moodboard might include photographs from travels, ocean landscapes, architecture, textiles, flowers, colour palette, fragments of poetry or journal entries.

The goal isn’t to replicate these images but to capture the atmosphere they create.

For Ājjana, the visual world often draws from late summer evenings, Cafe culture, coastal escapes, meaningful keepsakes, feminine elegance, modern city life.

The moodboard becomes the emotional blueprint for the collection.

Selecting Materials

Once the story and mood are defined, the materials are carefully chosen.

Semi-precious gemstones are selected not only for their beauty but for the feeling they evoke through colour, texture, and character.

For woven pieces, Miyuki beads allow intricate patterns and delicate craftsmanship, transforming hundreds of tiny elements into a single design.

Each component is considered for how it contributes to the overall story.

A warm stone may evoke golden sunsets.

A deep green may recall nature and renewal.

A miyuki woven pattern may reflect connection, movement, or the journeys that shape us.

Designing the Piece

This is where ideas move from paper to reality.

Sketches are created, colour combinations are explored, and different layouts are tested.

Some designs come together quickly. Others evolve through multiple versions before they feel complete.

The process is slow and intentional.

Every adjustment matters: the placement of a gemstone, the weight of a piece, the balance of colours, the way it moves when worn.

The goal is always the same:

To create something beautiful, timeless, and meaningful.

It is a keepsake.

A reminder of a place visited.

A friendship celebrated.

A goal achieved.

A chapter embraced.

Every collection begins with that feeling and is created to accompany you as you create your own.

Steph x