The story behind
Hi, my name is Nadja, and I started By Millin in 2019 after working as a designer in Milan and Paris.
In 2018 my life changed forever: my second son was born, and it was one of the most memorable days of my life. On this day, the nurse attached a beaded plastic name bracelet to his wrist, and he wore it for about a month. This bracelet became a tangible symbol of those special first weeks we spent together.
When he overgrew it and I had to cut it off, I thought about creating a similar, a more durable keepsake. I didn’t like the usual cheap plastic letter beads and I started to look for letter beads made of freshwater pearls - pearls after all have been a symbol of love for centuries. I did some research, realized this kind of engraved letter pearls did not exist and decided that I wanted to try to create them myself. As a busy new mom, it was hard to find the time, but the inspiration never left me. I found a way to engrave freshwater pearls, color them and slowly started creating the collection that would become By Millin.
Today I love to create exquisite pieces with gorgeous high-quality materials, jewelry to celebrate moments of meaning. I love pieces that hold a story of connection, that are a symbol of thought beyond the gift.
It's a beautiful thing to be a tiny part of your special memories and I seek to craft each piece with attention to detail and tons of love. Each and every piece of By Millin jewelry is carefully made in my Zurich, Switzerland studio. From here I proudly create personalized jewelry for women and girls all over the world
About the materials & sustainability
- Longevity is key to sustainability and in the spirit of “buy less, buy better” I consciously chose high quality materials to create my collection.
- All the pieces are designed & handmade in my Zurich studio to guarantee exquisite, durable jewelry.
- We use COC-certified gold for over 80% of our production. This certification maintains the highest human rights, social responsibility, and ecological standards. It also supports the Conflict-Free Gold Standard, meaning that no warring parties are supported. While our jewelry should make its wearer happy for a very long time, if a piece has run its course, gold can be sold on and recycled at any time.
- All pearls are purchase directly from a farm with more than two decades of experience.
- By Millin jewelry cases are made of FSC certified cardboard and water-based glue and they are produced in Europe.