An Endlessly Renewable Journey
Engineer turned jewelry designer Flora Jin traded her tech office in San Francisco for a makeshift jewelry studio in Brooklyn.
After five years of writing code, Flora was eager for change. Unsure of where to start, but curious about the world of sustainable fashion, she found herself in a Parsons classroom. “I attended a lecture where the speaker hypothesized that jewelry would become a big player in the industry,” Flora explained. Because jewelry is inherently renewable, long lasting, and gender agnostic, the potential of sustainable jewelry is endless. Excited to have found a lane for herself within an industry that otherwise felt crowded, Flora went on to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. After graduating in 2023, Gauchette was born.
Gauchette is an ethical jewelry brand creating romantic yet sophisticated pieces. “Everything is handmade by me in my Brooklyn apartment. I have a closet that I’ve repurposed as a jewelry bench,” Flora said of her studio slash office, “The only part that I don’t do is the casting, because I’m not allowed to pour molting metal in my apartment.” For obvious reasons, the final casting is done in the diamond district of NYC, where Flora has found local jewelers who share her commitment to quality. “It changes the way you think about the piece when they’re made from silver or gold. They become pieces you want to take care of,” she said of her choice to focus on precious metals over cheaper alternatives.
While steadfast in her commitment to quality materials, Flora acknowledges it demands a unique customer. “You have to have a different shopping value when you buy fine jewelry. You are investing in pieces that are intentionally designed and created, not manufactured,” Flora said of her choice to continue making each of her pieces by hand instead of opting for producing overseas. “There are little short cuts factories have learned to save time and reduce the bottom line by X amount of cents to save money at the top of the funnel,” she explained, “The artistry is missing if you take those short cuts.”
Key to the artistry behind Gauchette is a commitment to sustainable materials. All of Gauchette’s pieces are made from 100% recycled sterling silver, a precious metal that can be melted down and recreated in perpetuity, and solid gold. “I love that I can create things and destroy them over and over again — with no loss in materials,” she explained of her early attraction to the design process. Because precious metals are inherently renewable, the process encourages play. This essence of play speaks to Flora’s design process and aesthetic.
Inspired by the motifs of her childhood, Gauchette’s pieces often feature a mix bows and ribbons. Romantic yet sophisticated in nature, Flora’s aesthetic is reminiscent of childhood whimsy. “Jewelry has been a way for me to embrace my femininity, which was something I suppressed when I was in tech and never let flourish fully,” she explained. On a journey of endless self discovery and expression, Flora has built Gauchette as a love letter to her childhood, “All of these softer parts of myself were never really expressed, and now they’ve taken over my design ethos.” Similar to her journey as an artist, Flora’s pieces are a reminder that beauty can be redefined and renewed at anytime.