"My pieces make a journey from my head, to my heart, to my hands, to meet and match your soul."
There's just something about the bright colors of Andrea Becker Designs that remind you of water, the beach, ancient treasures, and the vibrant Caribbean that call to the soul. And Buckhead's own goldsmith and creator behind the jewelry is calling loudly to her many followers around the country with her eponymous line.
After having a career as a successful interior designer and owner/creator of an international women's clothing line (featured in stores like Nordstrom), Andrea Becker decided to listen to the voice within her heart and learn the ancient methods of goldsmithing.
"There I was, a mom with middle and grade school aged kids living in New Jersey, and I knew I had to press re-start and honor the calling in my heart to create one-of-a-kind pieces you could wear from yoga to a PTA meeting to the beach to a charity ball, all in the same day if you had to," Andrea says.
So she decided, with a nudge from her sister and support from her husband, to go all-in and apply to train with the very few Master Goldsmiths (such as Fredrika Kulicke), in the heart of the Diamond District in New York. Student by day, mom and wife by night, Andrea set off to learn how to create pieces that honored the centuries-old traditions, while incorporating the colors that stirred her soul, and trend-forward styles she was drawn to, combining both old and new. Learn she did, and upon finishing training she was already well on her way as she started her own line, Andrea Becker Designs.
We recently caught up with Andrea Becker in her Buckhead studio to ask her a few questions about both her popular jewelry line and what brought her business to Atlanta.
Why the sudden change of careers when you own a super successful business mid-life?
AB: I was overseas sourcing fabrics and attending a global trade show and missed my daughter’s birthday. That was my breaking point (and hers!). I knew I wanted to create something, but I wanted complete control of the design process--from idea, to materials, to creation, to your hands.
What drew you to jewelry and goldsmithing?
AB: I've always loved hand-created jewelry pieces with high karat gold. Every year I would wait excitedly for Christmas when I knew my husband would add to my collection from my favorite goldsmith, Gurhan. There was just something about the fact that gold comes from the ground, and would withstand centuries of changes even if found today. It spoke to me in a way I can’t explain.
You draw much of your design inspiration from the beach – why is that?
AB: I know the beach is a healing happy joyful place for just about everyone. I’m not going to design anything that isn’t representative of the colors, of the feeling, or of the freedom of truly connecting with our souls and with others, like my family does at the beach.
Your motto is “Let Your Spirit Flow.” What does this mean to you and your clients?
AB: Every piece I make is handmade, and whether it is a limited run piece or a commissioned piece, each is unique and made specifically for the woman that will wear it. I channel their spirit when I am creating it, and just as no two women are alike, neither are my pieces.