Anna Danilova

Website: annamonetjewelry.com
Instagram: annamonetjewelry

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Anna and I am the founder and designer behind Anna Monet Jewelry. Born and raised in Moscow, I moved to San Francisco at the age of 21. I’ve been creating jewelry from found objects since I was 13, and I learned metal work in San Francisco. My background is in fashion and I have years of styling and content production experience. Even though jewelry takes the majority of my time now, I am still very passionate about helping small business owners with art direction and content creation.

In my work I am interested in exploring our connection with nature and the environment and how ancestral skills, natural materials and modern aesthetic can coexist in a piece of jewelry. My world is ruled by color. Achieving stunning colors naturally is my passion and I love spreading awareness about the difference it can make in our health and the health of our planet. I am lucky to live and work in California, a perfect cultural and environmental backdrop for my explorations.

What is your favorite tool and why?

I love finishing work and therefore my flex shaft is one of my favorite tools, especially when combined with Japanese sandpaper rolls. The result is a perfect modern finish for my jewelry pieces and it is very satisfying to use.

Which materials do you create with most and what is your attraction to using them?

I love using horsehair, natural dyes and brass in my current body of work. There is a certain magic that happens when smooth medallions of sculptured brass is juxtaposed with the wild beauty of hand-dyed horsehair.

I believe that every business has an obligation to pay attention to where the raw materials are coming from and what impact they have in the community. My horsehair is ethically gathered by members of the Caddo Nation. All the colors in my work are achieved with natural dyes that are locally sourced. Whatever I decide to use in my work, I make sure that it comes from a good ethical source. I love to source locally whenever possible and support other small businesses and marginalized communities.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I draw my inspiration from the natural world, California coast, and Scandinavian design in the 60s as well as Mid-Century Modern Design aesthetic.

How long have you been working in metals and what brought you into this field?

I’ve been working in metals since 2015. My grandfather was a jeweler in Moscow; growing up I was surrounded by collectible lapidary sculptures made from minerals from all over the world, I credit them as my first introduction to ancient craft that eventually led me to metalwork.

What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in metals?

My main advice would be to get really clear on your mission and exactly what you want to say with your work. It can help to think about what you want to be known for and what impact you want to create in your design community.

What has been the biggest challenge for you as a metal artist and have you overcome it, or how are you working to overcome it?

My biggest challenge so far is finding access to innovation within the industry. There are so many developments in fashion with recycled and bio design and I look forward to exploring more of these options in my contemporary jewelry practice.

Favorite resource/vendor or website

I love Scrap SF for all kinds of recycled treasures and thecarrotbox.com for some good jewelry fun and wonderment.