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A collaboration in Portland, Ore., between the Luxury Exchange and local jewelry artist Diana Leon shows how independent designers can work with retailers to develop customer connections, deeper storytelling, and visual presentation.
For its inaugural fine jewelry residency, the Luxury Exchange is showcasing Leon’s brand Retórica and her new collection, Forest Goddess. Running from Aug. 11 through Sept. 7, the gallery-like installation at the Luxury Exchange offers Leon—who does not operate a storefront—a physical space to exhibit her jewelry. Leon says she looks forward to meeting with new and existing clients as well as learning about how potential customers interact with her jewelry.
“As designers, we often spend most of our time focused on creating. It’s easy to overlook how important it is to have your pieces displayed in spaces that understand and enhance your vision,” she says. “A residency gives you the chance to collaborate with professionals who can help translate your work into an immersive experience.”
The Luxury Exchange is a boutique specializing in secondhand designer fashion and accessories, including handbags, watches, and fine jewelry. Beth Anundi, who co-owns and operates the store with her husband, Adam, says they consider themselves part of Portland’s creative community, as they have collaborated with Portland artists before and they help amplify artisan voices in the region.
The business also aligns with Leon’s work, adds Anundi, because the designer repurposes gold and gemstones for her Retórica creations, and the Luxury Exchange supports sustainability and reuse.
“We always want to create experiences, and we reached out to Diana because of her intentionality, craftsmanship, and how she creates her work,” Anundi says. “When people put on one of her pieces, it becomes an experience.”
Mexico-born Leon studied fashion design and textiles in her home country before getting certification from GIA in gemology, pearls, and diamond grading. She says she seeks to create feminine jewelry that expresses a woman’s power and sense of self.
“My philosophy is that jewelry is wearable emotion, a connection between the maker, the wearer, and a moment in time,” says Leon. “It’s intentional, expressive, and personal. Jewelry isn’t just decoration; it’s a memory, it’s an identity, and it is a form of transformation.”
With Forest Goddess, Leon uses 14k gold and gemstones to highlight her interpretation of a woman’s journey through life. The collection is inspired by femininity in all forms, expressed through gold’s malleability: Gold can be transformed by fire, mechanical force, and other processes, reflecting how women evolve through their life experiences, Leon explains.
“To me, this is a powerful metaphor for the human experience. We too are shaped by pressure and change, yet we carry our core strength through every transformation,” she says. “On a personal level, I often say jewelry-making saved my life. I discovered this craft during a difficult time, and the physical act of working with metal—hammering, soldering, shaping, polishing—gave me a sense of healing and presence.”
Per the collection’s name, the jewelry represents a woman who is as free and untamed as the forest and as powerful as a goddess, according to the designer.
“She lives on her own terms—sometimes strong, sometimes soft, sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, but always true to herself. This collection is a celebration of that freedom,” Leon says.
“It is a celebration of the right to self-expression without the need to explain or justify it to anyone. Every day is a new opportunity to grow, and with that new growth comes the ability to evolve and carry yourself in the way that feels right to you.”
Top: Diana Leon is doing a fine jewelry residency with the Luxury Exchange, a boutique in Portland, Ore., where Leon is based. (Photos courtesy of The Luxury Exchange)
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This story originally appeared at https://www.jckonline.com/editorial-article/diana-leon-jewelry-residency/