A Letter from Vivian
Hi, I'm Vivian, the artist, founder, and the pair of hands behind Vivi Ami.
For me, jewelry has never just been an accessory. It's a vessel for memory, a symbol of intention, a way to carry someone you love close to you. That belief started in my grandmother's bedroom, and it lives now in every piece I make for you.
My earliest memories of jewelry are rooted in her cabinet, this towering, magnificent piece of furniture that felt like a personal treasure chest. To me, it was a world of wonders: stacks of bangles, strands of necklaces, elegant brooches, and her beloved collection of clip on earrings. Neither of us had our ears pierced at the time, so we'd sit for hours trying them on together while she told me the story behind each piece. Where she wore it. Who gave it to her. How it made her feel.
In those moments, surrounded by all those beautiful details, we created our own little world.
She taught me that jewelry is a language. You can tell your story through art and delicate details, through intentional textures and shapes.
That early love quickly became a pursuit. I started designing and selling pieces to friends and family in the 7th grade, discovering something I didn't have a word for yet: the deep, quiet joy of making something for someone else to wear and love.
Years later, I was living in New York City, working in data consulting, and quietly missing that feeling. When the world slowed down in 2020, I came back to my first love and founded Vivi Ami, starting on Etsy with wire working and gemstones, building something slow and intentional in the middle of a very loud world.
But I wanted to go deeper. With an engineering background, I have always had this urge to understand processes from the inside out, to not just make something but to truly know how it works. I was strongly pulled toward lost wax casting. It is one of the oldest methods of making jewelry in the world, and what moved me most was discovering that it still lives on today, practiced in so many different ways by makers all over the world. There are countless ways to make jewelry, but this one felt different. More involved. More crafted. With a kind of creative freedom I hadn't felt before. In early 2025, I dedicated myself to mastering it. Now, every single piece I make starts with my hands on wax and ends with my hands on the final polish. No middlemen, no shortcuts. Just me, my tools, and your story.
After five years in New York, I came home craving slowness and meaning. My work now is inspired by the things that ground me most: the soft, nostalgic memories of my grandmother; the quiet of an early morning; the organic, imperfect forms you find in nature when you're paying attention.
This is also why custom pieces mean so much to me. There is no greater honor than sitting with someone's story and figuring out how to hold it in metal and stone. A piece that, decades from now, will have a story of its own to tell.
Every piece I make is handcast, polished, and perfected by me in my little Virginia studio, using sterling silver, gold filled materials, and genuine gemstones. I'm a woman owned, one person studio, and I take that seriously. Every order is made with care, every custom piece is a real collaboration.
Vivi Ami is an invitation to slow down, to find beauty in the details, and to celebrate your story the way my grandmother celebrated hers. One symbolic, meaningful piece at a time.
Thank you for being here and letting me share this with you.
With love and gratitude,
Vivian Founder & Artisan, Vivi Ami
