shloboe boe
Leonard Ncube, [email protected]
VANESSA Nyathi, a 31-year-old entrepreneur based in Victoria Falls, has blossomed into a renowned jewellery designer. Fuelled by a deep-seated passion for fashion, she has transformed her love for adornments into a thriving business, crafting each piece with meticulous attention to detail, weaving stories of love and artistry into every design.
Growing up in a modest household and family of four, Nyathi’s early years were filled with the joy of craftwork, a passion that would later define her career. Her journey is one of creativity, resilience and a deep love for self-expression. Through every earring, bracelet and necklace, she tells not just a story of personal triumph but of a passion that glitters brighter with each design and the booming love that shapes relationships.
Nyathi, who grew up in Hwange and Kamativi where she did her primary education at St Ignatius and St Theresa schools respectively, enjoyed sewing. While most children found comfort in friendships, Nyathi’s happiest moments were spent sewing. It was more than just a hobby; it was her world, as she was always among her needles, thread and pieces of cloth rather than playing with friends. This love for sewing became the cornerstone of her life.
Nyathi did her secondary education at Kwekwe High School and went to Mwenezi for her Advanced Level.
Despite her academic potential, she could not proceed to tertiary education due to financial constraints. It was during these years that she discovered the true essence of her passion — craftwork. She turned the failure to proceed to tertiary education into an opportunity, channelling her creativity into a thriving jewellery-making business, which started by understudying her elder sister who runs Silverbox Jewellery studio in Harare.
Nyathi is a good example of a self-taught designer whose personal touch and home mentorship crafted her into the designer that she is. Her frequent visits to her sister’s studio in Harare became informal training sessions where she learned the art of jewellery making, producing 50 pairs of earrings, 50 bracelets and necklaces per day. Eager to hone her skills, Nyathi read many books on jewellery crafting, conducted online research and combined that with her sister’s guidance.
She started small, making earrings, but her passion for beads and gemstones quickly grew as she would help her sister stock up for large exhibitions like the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF). Each time she assisted, she earned a bit of money, which convinced her that she could indeed make a living from her craft. From this realisation, she was sure her journey as an independent jewellery maker had begun.
Today, Nyathi proudly creates a variety of jewellery pieces, including earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and anklets. Her unique niche lies in using gemstones, but she also uses wood, shells, seed beads, and fabric — materials that reflect the vibrant tourism city of Victoria Falls. Her love for fashion drives her creativity, constantly inspired by her sister’s knack for pairing simple dresses with statement accessories.
“I had a humble upbringing and craftwork was my favourite hobby. I loved sewing and had more needles, threads, and pieces of cloth than I had friends as a kid. I did not proceed to tertiary education because of lack of funds, and I am earning a living out of making and selling jewellery in the city of Victoria Falls.
“My elder sister is a jewellery designer, and I always visited her in Harare where I spent time in her studio trying to learn jewellery making. I read jewellery making books, researched online, and also asked my sister. I started by making earrings and my passion for beads grew each passing day. My sister took time to teach me the basics. As a fast learner, I started helping her make stocks for her shop and big exhibitions like the ZITF,” said Nyathi.
She said making a living from jewellery crafting has not been without its challenges, yet she embraces each obstacle as a learning opportunity, continuously evolving her skills and techniques. She supplies her beautifully crafted products to curio shops and also sells directly to tourists, capturing the hearts of many with her unique designs.
What sets her apart from the rest is her love for custom jewellery making. She views it as an art form that allows her to express emotions through design. Custom pieces often incorporate symbolic elements such as birthstones representing loved ones or motifs inspired by transformative travel experiences. These carefully chosen details create a visual language that speaks volumes about the wearer’s individuality, turning each accessory into a conversation starter and a reflection of one’s innermost self.
“My motivation was mainly my love for fashion, and my niche is on gemstones. I have always had very particular ideas about what I want to wear, and my sister motivated me as she would put on a simple dress and accessorise with a statement necklace and nice earrings.
“Of all jewellery making tasks, I love customising. I refer to it as expressing emotions through design.
When designing custom jewellery, I have the opportunity to incorporate symbolic elements that hold special meaning and tell a story, perhaps a birthstone to represent a loved one, or a motif inspired by a transformative travel experience,” said Nyathi.
She said her products, with carefully chosen details, create a visual language that speaks volumes about individuality.
“Jewellery tells a story. The outcome becomes not just an accessory but a conversation starter and a reflection of your innermost self. A heart-shaped piece of jewellery, whether in the form of earrings, pendants, or rings, serves as tangible affection. The heart shape is universally recognised as a symbol of love. A heart pendant necklace can be a token of love, friendship, or appreciation. If you are in a relationship and your partner gifts you with a heart pendant necklace, it is a valid detail to show how they feel about you,” said Nyathi.
Despite all this, she said eking a living out of jewellery making has not been easy. Nyathi not only transformed her love for beads and fabric into a successful business but also learned the power of self-expression and the beauty of turning personal emotions into timeless designs.
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