We know that purchasing jewelry online can feel intimidating. Will the jewelry be what I expect? Will I receive the customer support I need? and I’m not ready to commit until I know more about the company and processes are just a couple of the thoughts that might be going through your mind.
That’s why we’re thrilled to introduce NIXIN Private Connect Sessions.
Connect with Nicki, the designer and artist behind every NIXIN creation, in a 30-minute Zoom session where you can drive the agenda according to your needs. Whether you have questions about that opal ring you’ve been coveting or you just want to know more about Nicki and the company, the time is yours. You can even apply the session rate toward your jewelry purchase.
Your one-on-one time with Nicki is just a couple of clicks away. Learn more about Connect Sessions here. In the meantime, get a head start learning more about Nicki in this rare interview.
How and when did you first discover your passion for jewelry design?
I don’t recall an exact moment, but more an era of childhood where designing became fluid to me. It began in my grandmother Natalie’s women's accessories store, “Mimi & Natalie” in Lynbrook, New York. More specifically, in the basement, where I gathered the beads and sequins that collected on the floor — fallen from the inventory of handbags, hats, jewelry, and more — weaving them into designs of my own.
Her store was a magical place for a little girl, from its bow-making machine in the back office to its store window that I always begged to merchandise. I still have the ceramic poodle my grandma displayed as her trademark in her store window, and I even installed ceiling panels in my office inspired by the pressed tin tiles that decorated the ceiling of my grandmother’s store.
So it was not so much a moment, but more an evolutionary discovery through experiences with my grandma that led me to my passion for design.
How would you describe your design style and how does that influence your creations?
I’ve always felt I have three underlying design aesthetics that present to varying degrees in my work, depending on the specific stones I’m designing around; Minimalism, Organic, and Art Deco.
While these styles may sound disparate, even contradictory, I perceive them as complementary… when used the right way. With a seamless vision properly applied, these three styles not only coexist but can be synergistic.
Take the Suspension Australian Opal Necklace, for example.
This piece is quite simple in design, borrowing from minimalist styling; the opal with its half moon shape and its streamline bezel setting. Very geo, very minimalist. Yet the opal itself is the quintessential example of organic. With irregular flecks of color and the sandstone inclusion at its base — its makeup is straight from nature. But add in the tiers of diamonds, plus their step-cut faceting and we’re talking archetypal art deco.
So, yes, as standalones these three styles seem individualistic, but with sublime nuance, they fluidly coalesce. The primary stone, usually an opal, dictates which one or combination of these styles I apply in its design. I “listen to the stone” and I design according to what it wants, what best compliments it. Collectively, these three aesthetics ebb and flow with the opals I procure, informing my design style.
Opals are almost always the centerpiece of NIXIN creations. Can you tell us a little bit about your opal obsession?
I’ve always loved variety, yet I believe in specialization for a small business such as my own, otherwise, it’s too easy to get lost in the noise of a saturated marketplace, like jewelry. So as I explored gemstone options to specialize in, my stone of choice came (easily) into focus; opal.
It offers variety in many ways that its counterparts do not. Opal comes in every color of the rainbow and in so many different patterns. Combined with the wide range of opal types and cuts available, you will never find two exactly alike. They are more dissimilar from one another than any other gem I’m drawn to, making them more inspiring to design around. Many faceted gems are GORGEOUS, but I don’t always see stories unfold from them the way I do from opals.
Opals simply satisfy my hunger for unique and colorful inspiration.
Outside of opals, what are your favorite stones to incorporate into your designs and why?
Outside of opals, I particularly love incorporating sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds into my designs. Sometimes I’ll also use tourmaline, moonstone, ruby, spinel, or any other gem well-suited to a specific design.
I’m partial to sapphires because, like opals, they come in nearly every color of the rainbow. I love the design options this opens up, especially for my trademark NIXIN Opal Ombré work. They are also, relatively speaking, more durable gems and have a fairly high refractive index (think sparkle factor ✨).
I’m also partial to emeralds because, well, they’re emeralds. My favorites are the minty green ones. Their bluish undertones can be due to traces of vanadium or iron. I just find this hue particularly enchanting.
Sapphire and emerald also happen to be my children’s birthstones, so perhaps my love for them is not such a coincidence. Along with their beauty, the sentimental value of these stones automatically elevates my appreciation of them, and they are among my favorites to incorporate into my work.
What are your greatest sources of design inspiration?
The gemstones (read: opals) themselves are my greatest source of design inspiration. I design each piece based on the story I see within the stone. That’s not just a line — I see many vendors with generic taglines about *jewelry with a story.* But when I try to find the story in the work, I can’t. I see a beautiful piece with specs on a website, but no clear story tied to it.
The pieces I create literally have a story, built from and into them. The story comes from what I see within the opal set inside them. I design the piece around it. I name the piece after it. I write the description to support it. We deploy an email about it. And most pieces even have a secret inscription that alludes to it. But if you’re reading this email, you probably already know all of that. 😉 So when I say my pieces have a story and that they are inspired by the stones, I mean it — they are genuinely inspired by the stones within them.
Do you have a cherished piece of jewelry in your personal collection?
My most cherished piece of jewelry is a ring I made for my grandmother back when I was in high school. She always wore big gold jewelry and used to tell a story about my dad (her son) and his cousin where they misbehaved and she told them she’d take them down in “one fell swoop.”
Part of the story is the visual: imagine my grandmother, Natalie (barely 4 feet tall), a New Yorker with bright orange hair, coral lipstick on her teeth (always), a mouth like a truck driver and a heart of gold. When she told the story she would gesture with her hand in a big sweeping motion. The idea of this tiny, big mouthed, loving bubby taking anyone “out” was kind of hilarious.
Needless to say, when it was time to gift her something special, I made her a big gold ring (her style), but streamlined and minimalist (my style), and hand engraved it: “with all my love in one fell swoop.” She wore it until the day she passed and I now wear it every day in her memory.
Perhaps this helps you understand why it’s so important for me to design pieces that have something to say rather than simply appealing to aesthetics. I believe in designing jewelry that represents our thoughts and feelings and the connections we have to one another. My “one fell swoop” ring is forever a connection to my beloved grandmother.
What’s your favorite way to spend your time when you’re not busy designing jewelry?
When away from my desk, I most love to spend my time with family and friends. We’re a work hard, play hard type of family so don’t worry if you don’t hear back after hours or on the weekend — we’re likely at a soccer tournament (I help coach my son’s team). When not on the soccer field, we’re skiing, river-rafting, ostrich-visiting, axe-throwing, book- or cook-clubbing (though I rarely cook!), lavender farm trekking, fishing, zip-lining, snorkeling, pilates-ing, apiary-ing, or ATV riding… (I think you get the picture). I will get back to you, but please give me ‘til Monday! 😆
