Ashley Zhang on Motherhood, Modern Heirlooms, and Building a Fine Jewellery Brand.
Image Courtesy of Ashley Zhang Jewelry
Ashley Zhang’s world is built in millimetres, but the shifts she describes in this conversation are the kind you feel in your whole life. A fine jewelry designer and mother of two, Ashley doesn’t subscribe to the myth of motherhood as an instant overnight transformation. For her, it was slower and more surprising: the early months were a blur of happiness, and then, gradually, a dawning that life had changed shape — fuller, louder, more demanding, and also more meaningful.
What Ashley speaks about with particular clarity is the part of motherhood that doesn’t get the same spotlight: the long middle stretch. The years after the newborn bubble, when parenting keeps evolving and your children become real people with depth, humour, and heart. She’s quick to say that while milestones are exciting, nothing compares to watching her sons develop empathy, moments that make her feel proud, energised, and reassured that she’s doing something right.
That same blend of realism and reverence is at the heart of her work as a designer, and it’s exactly why her pieces have built such a devoted following. Ashley’s jewelry has the intimacy of something discovered and kept forever: modern heirlooms with a vintage sensibility, created with obsessive attention to detail and the kind of quiet cool that never feels try-hard. But while fine jewelry can look effortless from the outside, Ashley is refreshingly candid about what it actually takes to bring a piece to life: the design iterations, prototyping, specialised craft, and uncompromising quality control, not to mention the emotional weight that comes with creating engagement rings in particular. You’re not just making something beautiful, she explains; you’re making a symbol of someone’s future. Her role becomes part designer, part educator, part project manager, part therapist — translating overwhelm into confidence, and pressure into something meaningful.
Still, what threads through everything she shares — motherhood, business, creativity, and style — is intention. Ashley isn’t chasing reckless leaps or fast, unstable growth. She’s building for longevity: timeless pieces with a nod to vintage, a business designed to last, and a life where ambition hasn’t disappeared, it’s simply been refined and protected. Success, in her version, is less about doing everything and more about being selective: saying no to the noise so she can say yes to what matters.
And if you’re wondering how she resets when it all feels like a lot? Ashley’s answer is refreshingly human: a strong margarita.
By Alice Codford
ON MOTHERHOOD
Alice: How has motherhood changed you, both personally and professionally?
Ashley Zhang: People always talk about that instant, overnight change when you have a baby, but for me, I didn't truly feel the magnitude of it right away. Those first few months are just a blur and I was so excited and happy. It was a gradual realization that my old life was gone, replaced by a totally different, more demanding one.
What’s been the most unexpected part of motherhood for you?
Ashley Zhang: I think many people focus on mothers in the early days or first few years but they don't talk as much about how so many challenges don't get "easier"; they just change. As your kids get older you hear fewer words of encouragement and less empathy around. It's harder to stay positive and keep a healthy mentality without that support long term.
“I think many people focus on mothers in the early days or first few years but they don't talk as much about how so many challenges don't get "easier", they just change.”
What’s been one of the hardest seasons of motherhood for you, and what helped you get through it?
Ashley Zhang: My hardest season was adjusting to two kids. My first son was born just before COVID, so I felt like I had a lot of help and support in the early days and then we were left to this isolation bubble which was difficult, but we had a two-parent-to-child ratio at home. With one child, I felt I could still maintain parts of my routine and life from before, with two it felt impossible. Our "village" was less willing to help, send food, etc, and I felt I was juggling so much more. People assume the second time around is easier, but it really was not the case for me. This is when we decided to hire both a week day and a part time weekend nanny. I was sad to not be as hands on with my kids but it really helped me be more present in the time I did have dedicated time to them.
What’s been one of the highest points, a moment as a mother that you’ll never forget?
Ashley Zhang: I love watching the people my children are becoming. They make me so proud, constantly surprising me with their maturity and depth. While hitting milestones (walking, reading, spelling) is always exciting, seeing them grasp a concept as complex as empathy is on a different level. When they demonstrate that kind of heart on their own, it gives me a motivational boost that carries me through even the hardest days of parenting, assuring me we are doing something right. They also say the funniest things.
Image Courtesy of Ashley Zhang Jewelry
Has motherhood changed your relationship with ambition? Like how hard you push, what you say yes/no to, and what “success” means now?
Ashley Zhang: Motherhood hasn't changed my ambition, but it has definitely redefined it. Ambition to reality takes stamina, which is in short supply when you’re parenting. Because I have to be so much more protective of my energy, 'success' now means being more selective saying no to the noise so I can say yes to the things that truly move the needle. I am also very conscious of my time and trying to allocate as much as possible to my team and or childcare as I can to make this balance happen.
On a tough day of juggling work, clients, and kids, what helps you reset?
Ashley Zhang: A strong margarita.
“I love watching the people my children are becoming. They make me so proud, constantly surprising me with their maturity and depth. While hitting milestones is always exciting, seeing them grasp a concept as complex as empathy is on a different level.”
Do you ever get mum guilt around work? If yes, what do you tell yourself that actually helps?
Ashley Zhang: Honestly, I don’t! I truly believe that by working hard, I’m providing an example for my sons. I want them to grow up seeing a woman pursue her ambitions so they’ll know how to support their future partners in an equal, balanced home. I started my business specifically for the flexibility it provides. It allows me to be present for every weekday school event, even if that means catching up during late nights or weekends. For me, that trade-off is entirely worth the presence it buys me.
What do you wish you’d known before becoming a mother?
Ashley Zhang: That the 'baby phase' is just a blip. Motherhood and becoming a parent is heavily glamorized around the infant years: the strollers, the cute clothes, the newborn bubble. Before having kids, that was exactly what I was most excited about. But that time is incredibly short. I really wish the cultural conversation would shift away from taking care of an infant toward the much longer journey of actually raising children into adulthood. Balancing work with school aged children is much so harder and the cultural expectation of that balance tends to be more difficult. Broadening that conversation would do wonders for women’s mental health and their marriages, laying the groundwork for a much more realistic, sustainable partnership.
Image Courtesy of Ashley Zhang Jewelry
ON BECOMING A JEWELRY DESIGNER
What drew you to fine jewelry specifically, the history, the materials, the emotion of it, what hooked you?
Ashley Zhang: My path to jewelry started during my sophomore year at Parsons. In my core design class, we were tasked with designing and producing a full head-to-toe look every week. I quickly realized I was spending far more time obsessing over the jewelry than the clothing. When my classmates started asking to buy the pieces I was presenting, something clicked. I realized that while the outfits were the assignment, the jewelry was where my heart and my natural curiosity actually lived.
How did you get into the jewellery industry?
Ashley Zhang: While in school, I started interning for fine jewelry brands and lined up a job before graduating. While working as a designer and production manager for other modern brands I started curating antique pieces for my own personal collection and would study used books about jewelry history on weekends.
“Motherhood hasn't changed my ambition, but it has definitely redefined it. Ambition to reality takes stamina, which is in short supply when you’re parenting. Because I have to be so much more protective of my energy, 'success' now means being more selective saying no to the noise so I can say yes to the things that truly move the needle.”
Your work has that modern-meets-vintage feeling. What’s your obsession: silhouette, proportion, stones, or the story behind pieces?
Ashley Zhang: Fine jewelry unlike other fashion or accessory categories, has a high price point for entry. When I started in the fine jewelry world as a young college student I really wanted every item I collected to be special and unique, and vintage jewelry truly aligned with that goal. Those pieces felt more classic and timeless and like a good long term investment.
What did you have to learn the hard way about the jewelry world that people outside it don’t understand?
Ashley Zhang: I learned that most people in the industry have a family history in it, and typically male. As a young, self-funded woman, I was not taken very seriously.
Image Courtesy of Ashley Zhang Jewelry
You’ve talked about not being a bench jeweler and working closely with bench jewelers. What makes a great collaboration, and how do you communicate what you see in your head?
Ashley Zhang: What people often don't realize is that a single piece of jewelry is a relay race of specialized skills, each step requires years of mastery. I choose to work with expert bench jewelers because they bring a level of technical excellence that my designs deserve. A great collaboration is built on mutual respect; I bring the 'what' and the 'why,' and they bring the 'how.' I communicate my vision through detailed sketches and CAD models, but the real magic happens in the back-and-forth dialogue where we figure out how to push the materials to their absolute limit.
What’s one design “rule” you follow no matter what, and one you love breaking?
Ashley Zhang: My brand concept is really built on creating timeless items that always have a nod to vintage or antique styles. The challenge lies on how to blend that with modern trends. I never want a client to feel they investing in an item from us that after a few years feels "out of style". This is really where the concept for our best selling chains came from. We had so many charms both vintage and our own collection I wanted a chain style that could be worn with any and all of them.
Is there a piece you've created, or a commission, that you will always remember?
Ashley Zhang: I love so much of the jewelry we have created but I'm always most excited about what we have new or next. Currently I really love our two Lunar New Year items, a charm and a ring. I am the year of the Horse so I wanted this year to feel extra special. I spent a long time collecting images and samples of Victorian era horseshoe charms. I made my own version of this classic Victorian era style with antique and recycled diamonds, and a satin finish to make the stones pop against the metal, giving it a vintage and worn-in feel. The back/inside is hand painted with red enamel to give the wearer extra luck and ward off negative energy to keep with them daily.
Image Courtesy of Ashley Zhang Jewelry
ON BUILDING THE BUSINESS
Take us back to the beginning, when did you realise this could be a real business, not just a creative passion?
Ashley Zhang: I never intended to start my own brand. After getting engaged to my now husband I was so burnt out working for other people and not taking a break for years after graduating Parsons that I decided to take some time away to work on other things and plan my wedding. During this time I got so many requests from friends and past clients that it just became a business.
When people are choosing an engagement ring, it’s emotional and high-stakes. How do you create calm and confidence for clients?
Ashley Zhang: To be completely honest, navigating the emotional weight of this process is often the most demanding and difficult part of my job as a designer. You aren't just fabricating a piece of jewelry, you are tasked with creating a physical symbol of someone's future together. That is an immense amount of pressure, and clients often arrive carrying a lot of anxiety, fear of making the "wrong" choice, and stress over budgets or expectations. I frequently have to step out of my creative comfort zone and act as part educator, part project manager, and part therapist. To cut through that anxiety and create calm and confidence. The best feeling is when they receive their final ring and really appreciate all the work that we put into it!
“My biggest risk has actually been choosing not to take the reckless leaps that are so often glorified in business — In an unpredictable market, that caution is my greatest asset, it's what I think guarantees this brand will be here for the long haul.”
What’s been your biggest “risk” moment in business, the scariest decision that ultimately moved you forward?
Ashley Zhang: My biggest risk has actually been choosing not to take the reckless leaps that are so often glorified in business. I am a deeply analytical as a CEO; for every risk I take, I build out a worst-case scenario and a fallback plan to match it. Choosing a slow, intentional growth strategy over rapid, unstable scaling is scary when everyone else is rushing. But in an unpredictable market, that caution is my greatest asset, it's what I think guarantees this brand will be here for the long haul.
What do you think people misunderstand about a jewelry business that looks glamorous from the outside?
Ashley Zhang: People often assume the cost of fine jewelry is just a simple math equation: gold weight plus diamond carat. They completely overlook the massive operational iceberg beneath the surface. Bringing a single piece from initial concept to a finished, purchasable product requires rigorous design iterations, prototyping, expert labor, and intensive quality control. The glamour of the final product perfectly hides the sweat equity and complex logistics required to actually make it.
ON CREATIVITY + MOTHERHOOD
Has becoming a mum changed your creative process? Your time, your patience, your inspiration, your standards?
Ashley Zhang: Absolutely. The most immediate, honest answer is just the baseline exhaustion, I am so much more tired all the time! But that tiredness has forced a really beautiful shift in how I work. It made me realize that creativity cannot survive in a state of constant chaos and giving. I have to intentionally carve out moments of absolute calm just to reset my brain and allow inspiration to surface. Every hour I spend designing is now an hour away from my child, which means whatever I am creating has to be absolutely worth it. My time has shrunk, but my standards are higher than ever.
Do you find your kids influence your design eye in ways you didn’t expect?
Ashley Zhang: To be completely honest, it’s actually the opposite. I find that having kids makes accessing my design eye much more difficult. But I always make a clear distinction: it’s not my children who drain my creativity. Being present and playing with them is purely joyful. What stifles the creative process is the crushing mental load of modern parenting. The endless school emails, the life admin, the rigorous and ever-changing schedules. That logistical noise takes up so much bandwidth. It means I have to work twice as hard to clear my mind and find the quiet space required for true design work.
What is the favourite design you’ve ever created?
Ashley Zhang: It would have to be our book locket. I have always been captivated by vintage jewelry, specifically mid-century book charms that featured these incredibly intricate hand engravings. I wanted to capture that same sense of nostalgia and secret-keeping, but elevate it for a modern wearer. I love it because it feels less like a traditional piece of jewelry and more like a tiny, wearable heirloom.
ON STYLE & SELF-CARE
As a jewelry designer, you’re literally working in millimeters. What’s your personal style philosophy?
Ashley Zhang: My style philosophy is deeply practical, build a foundation of high-quality staples, and have fun with a few trendy pieces. Between running a business and raising kids, my time to actually shop and curate a wardrobe is incredibly limited. By focusing my energy on just a few standout items at a time, I can keep my look fresh without the mental load of putting together complicated outfits every morning. I love to shop for a vacation wardrobe so thats where my fun shopping and unique items come from.
Image Courtesy of Ashley Zhang Jewelry
What’s your everyday jewelry “uniform”, the pieces you wear on repeat, and why?
Ashley Zhang: I approach my jewelry exactly like my wardrobe: I start with my foundational staples, and I build from there. My base uniform is our small belcher chain featuring a 'Wes' pendant engraved with my kids' initials, a nod to a charm my husband gave me long before we were married. Alongside that I also always wear my classic round signet ring, which I started wearing on my wedding day after making them for myself and all my bridesmaids.Because these staples hold so much personal history, they ground my look, allowing me to easily mix and match more trend-forward or statement pieces from my personal collection depending on the occasion.
What’s your go-to outfit formula for feeling put-together fast?
Ashley Zhang: My ultimate fail-safe is a great white tee and a perfect pair of jeans. I look at that combination as a blank canvas. From there, it takes exactly two seconds to throw on a trendy shoe, a great jacket, or a statement bag. And, of course, the jewelry is where I really get to inject my personal style and elevate the whole look without having to overthink it.
What is your everyday handbag?
Ashley Zhang: Lately I have been loving the woven leather tote from Dragon Diffusion. I have mine in a really pretty dark green color.
Do you have a style icon? Who or what inspires your style?
Ashley Zhang: I used to look to celebrities for inspiration, but these days I am much more inspired by micro-influencers, style blogs, and trends on Instagram. To be honest, as a working mom, I feel like I have to put in so much more active effort just to keep up with current styling trends. You no longer just absorb what's 'cool' effortlessly! Micro-influencers feel more accessible, they show me how to actually wear the trends in a practical, everyday way, which is exactly the kind of inspiration I need right now.
What’s one piece of jewelry you’ll never take off (or always remake in different versions)?
Ashley Zhang: Without a doubt, it’s my small belcher chain that we launched in 2019. The design is heavily inspired by antique watch chains, complete with a classic dog clip clasp that allows you to effortlessly add or swap out any charm. I look at it as the ultimate modern heirloom, it’s a universally cool, foundational chain you can wear for decades, simply changing out the pendants as your personal style or current trends evolve.
What are your skincare and makeup heroes that you always recommend to friends?
Ashley Zhang: My ultimate secret is being high-maintenance behind the scenes so I can be low-maintenance every morning. As a working mom and business owner, I simply don't have time for a 10-step daily skincare routine. Instead, I invest in regular Hydrafacials, microneedling, and laser treatments. That professional upkeep means my daily at-home routine is ridiculously simple: just a gentle cleanser, Chanel La Solution 10 for moisture, and Beauty of Joseon sunscreen.
What are your non-negotiables that keep you grounded (even if they’re small)?
Ashley Zhang: I am incredibly protective of my balance. While my kids and my business are the constants that matter the most to me, my actual non-negotiables are dedicated date nights with my husband and quality time with my friends. Carving out that adult time away from my daily responsibilities is the ultimate grounding force for me.
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