Independent jewelry designers in Toronto are artisans who know how to transform their passions into wearable pieces of art. What’s stylish now might be off-trend later, but when it comes to jewelry, quality craftsmanship is timeless.

Here are my picks for the top independent jewelry designers in Toronto.

Santa Isla

Colombian-born jewelry designer Jessica Sanchez partners with the Embera Chami peoples, an Indigenous group from Colombia, to bring their traditional Okama necklaces to the rest of the world. Every hand-beaded piece is stunning and moves towards preserving the Embera’s unique Indigenous culture.

Maison Raksha

Maybe most well-known for making one of Kanye’s favourite necklaces, Jonathan Raksha is is the golden boy of goldsmithing. His clientele list further includes Post Malone and Joey Bada$$, and he’s the go-to guy for Toronto locals to cop some top-quality custom grills.

Jenny Bird

This artisan from rural Ontario first found her footing in the design industry with a successful collection of handbags. Since then she’s shifted into the jewelry business, and everyone is really happy that she did: her sleek and modern jewelry make her one of this city’s best.

Wild Moon Jewelry

The Biakoye jewelry collection from this Toronto-born designer Asia Clarke is all about empowerment. Co-created with the Obrapaa Women’s Group in Ghana, pieces are made solely from recycled glass beads, and 100 percent of proceeds go towards the local artisans’ incomes.

Armed Jewelry

Designer Desiree Girlato started Armed while still attending Humber University, and since graduating has grown the shop to an eclectic storefront on Dundas West. Her designs include necklaces made of thick stainless chains from New York and durable pendants with stones from Arizona.

Erin Tracy

This OCAD grad specializes in custom bridal jewelry and ready-made pieces. Her style is classic, a little playful, and everything in her Liberty Village studio is ethically made. Canadian-mined gems and diamonds are the main source of shine here, and any international stones are conflict-free.

Matsu

Super elegant pieces are the basis of Jennifer Shigetomi’s designs. Full of silver and pearls, her designs are made in the studio of her Yonge & Eglinton storefront, which she operates with her sister and business partner Lisa.

Daniel Christian Tang

This brother duo has been gaining international attention for a while with their 3D-printed jewelry. Both Luca Daniel and Mario Christian use architecture as their design inspiration, which explains the geometric, cagey feel of their bangles and earrings.

Mindham Fine Jewelry

You can’t think about Toronto jewelry and not have Myles Mindham come to mind. The Toronto-born designer has some serious jewelry accolades under his belt. Operating first at the Park Hyatt hotel and eventually moving to Yorkville, Mindham has has been designing fine pieces of glam for this city’s elite since 1991.

Emily Gill

Originally from Quebec, Emily specializes in custom wedding bands that are down-to-earth but still incredibly refined. She loves to work with gemstones like sapphires, and she’s also one of the few designers to use enamel, a where glass is carefully melted onto metal surfaces to create something totally unique.