We have an inspiring interview for you today! We have spoken with Lisa Zaiser, founder of Dear Darling Berlin – stunning sustainably manufactured fine jewelry. Known for the unique delicate pieces that exude femininity, Dear Darling Berlin jewelry is everything you could want in your accessories. Join us as we chat with Lisa, and learn more about Dear Darling Berlin’s story, her brand values, how she ensures her jewelry is produced sustainably and so much more!
What drew you to jewelry? How did your ‘Dear Darling Berlin Story’ begin?
Jewelry has always had a special meaning to me. It was never about material values, but memories and unique moments of the precious gesture of giving. When the idea to start a jewelry business grew, I wanted to create something that people could really connect with. I wanted our jewelry to be a part of peoples life’s and to follow them along with their different, unique ways. We all start somewhere and then life happens! Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose but we continue to grow and become the person we want to be. And that is a really exciting journey that we want to accompany with our jewelry. 🙂
How would you describe your collections?
If I only had three words to describe it, I would say our collections are: timeless, elegant, minimalist.
What goes into creating sustainable jewelry?
When I started to do my research at the beginning of starting Dear Darling Berlin, I quickly noticed that while in other industries, such as food or fashion, there is a growing awareness of responsible, sustainable production and consumption. But when I deep-dived into the jewelry industry, I could rarely find labels that focused on sustainability or transparency of their manufacturing processes. That is what motivated me to start my own business and to create my own label: Dear Darling Berlin. For our delicate fine jewelry, we use recycled silver and recycled gold. Materials that are already part of the life circle and don’t have to be newly extracted from mining. With my brand, I want to show that sustainability and style can go hand in hand!
What do you want women to feel when wearing Dear Darling Berlin jewelry?
Confident, comfortable & empowered! Oh and most importantly: I want them to feel like themselves. 🙂
What is your favorite piece from the Dear Darling Berlin collection – and what made it so special?
That’s a really tough question! But if I could only choose one piece, it would probably be our elegant hoop earrings (https://deardarling.berlin/en/products/gedrehte-creole). What makes it special to me is that it represents all that Dear Darling Berlin stands for: a modern, elegant, yet urban style that you can wear everyday and also for special occasions. Many of my friends have several Dear Darling pieces and most of them actually have this earring as well. Somehow it connects all of us. It has something empowering to it!
What challenges did you face in your work?
The jewelry market is a highly competitive segment – so finding your own, individual style and establishing your brand can be quite challenging! But I am proud to say that after some time I have found my language for Dear Darling Berlin and we have already connected with many great people that share the same mindset and that love our style.
In the past 2 years I’ve had many ups and downs and as a founder and I learned that you have to be incredibly patient (not my biggest strength) and to continuously work towards your vision, even if it’s hard and sometimes you feel like giving up might be the easier option. When you start a business, you don’t know most of the things you will have to do. And that’s a good thing because it can be overwhelming! What I do is connect with other (female) founders and exchange experiences. Also, I try to do my work without the fear of failure. I have made many mistakes and learned so much through them, so I think it is an essential part of your growth.
What’s next? What’s your vision for the future of the brand?
My vision for Dear Darling Berlin is to create a joyful, cool, trustworthy, and sustainable company where people love to work, love to be inspired, and love to inspire others. I want to empower people to find and go their own path, for them to have the chance to try new things, connect, and grow. We are a family-run business and I think you can kind of feel that. We have very close relations with our business partners, manufacturers, employees, and customers and this will always be the heart of Dear Darling Berlin.
For the future, we want to grow our team and create even more beautiful sustainable fine jewelry! We have just recently started to work with a fantastic jewelry designer and are developing a lovely summer collection together – so exciting!
