• Our Story

Hey there, it's me Seana, founder and designer of Amano Studio jewelry. Amano (by hand in Spanish), began after I earned a degree in Anthropology at UC Berkeley. It was my dream to use design as a tool of economic development in Mexican artisan communities. It was with youthful optimism and energy that I set out with $800 of seed money to change the world. I pursued that dream for 12 years, but with the birth of my son in 2006 I was not able to do all that traveling anymore. I had to reinvent.

With the help of my sister who had been making jewelry for years, I built a team of makers in Sonoma California. In partnership with other American craftspeople and manufacturers, we design and handcraft an ever-changing line of fashion jewelry that is high quality, affordable and made in the USA. I draw creative inspiration from the history of jewelry as an expression of material culture, the night sky and a Golden State of mind. Thank you to all of our customers who allow me and my team to live one more day in a beautiful place making beautiful things. This year we are celebrating 25 years in the market!! By the way, my son will graduate high school soon and I see international travel and adventure on the horizon! Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Our Manifesto

#1 QUALITY, DESIGN AND AFFORDABILITY:

This is not an aspirational brand. It's a brand for "the people." We use the highest quality materials and processes possible while keeping affordability in mind. Our democratic pricing makes Amano Studio jewelry accessible to everyone. We strive to create designs that are contemporary, on trend, but still unique.  Bueno, bonito y barato as they say in Mexico. Who doesn't love that?  

#2 BUY AMERICAN:

Everyone wants to see our manufacturing sector revitalized so put your money where your mouth is and BUY AMERICAN!  Now, it is not possible to source 100% of our materials within the US, but whenever possible we are using materials sourced from other US manufacturers (even when it costs more).  

#3 LOVE YOUR MOTHER!

As Californians, we are indoctrinated at an early age to be environmentalists so it's a no brainer!  We have achieved a ZERO WASTE production operation. The metals we use are recycled, many of our components are vintage salvage, and we use biodegradable packaging (like "plastic" bags made from plant material) and 100% post consumer waste paper.

#4 PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS:

Amano Studio is an egalitarian workplace with a team of hardworking makers. We recognize that without a strong team, the business can not thrive. The human needs of our people always come first. These include flexibility to take care of family and oneself, paid time off, respectable wages and profit sharing.

#5 WE GIVE BACK:

Serving our community is the most important work we can do.  We have an ongoing campaign to raise funds for our local homeless shelter. You can help us! Read all about it on our "We Give Back" page. We strive to be the change we want to see.

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