Meeting with Lidia

For this edition, we are lucky to spotlight Lidia, a passionate Montreal jeweler who designs minimalist, delicate, and meaningful jewelry in her Montreal studio. For over a decade, she has been creating handmade pieces that celebrate women's strength, beauty, and daily confidence, while supporting local craftsmanship.

In this interview, Lidia tells us about her journey, her creative process, and what drives her in the world of jewelry-making ✨

Can you tell us about your background in jewelry?

Creating jewelry has always been a part of my life. As a child, I was already making jewelry, never imagining it would become a profession. Later, in high school, I naturally started selling my creations to those around me.

After studying theater production, as well as spending a year living in Ireland and traveling through Europe, I reached a turning point. It was upon my return to Quebec that I discovered jewelry-making as a profession. I enrolled at the École de joaillerie de Montréal and immediately knew I had found my calling.

After my studies, I also taught there for five years. In 2011, I founded my business, now known as Lidia.

What made you want to become a jeweler and work in this world?

I always wanted to pursue an artistic and hands-on career, and jewelry-making allowed me to combine these two aspects. What drew me to jewelry was both the symbolic power of the piece and the balance between creation, technique, and meaning. A piece of jewelry accompanies significant moments: it carries memories, emotions, and sometimes even life milestones. I loved the idea of creating objects that last, that are passed down, and that hold real emotional weight, while remaining anchored in everyday life.

I also really enjoy the challenge of creating jewelry that is both beautiful and comfortable to wear. A pair of earrings shouldn't be too heavy; a ring shouldn't snag. These constraints are an integral part of the process and fuel my creativity. For me, a piece of jewelry must be meaningful, durable, and designed to be worn every day.

How would you describe your artistic approach? What are your main sources of inspiration?

My approach is very intuitive and centered on daily life. I am often inspired by mundane moments, small situations in life that make you smile or carry a particular emotion. For example, my latest collection, Let’s go Bananas, was born from a running gag between friends and celebrates humor, complicity, and those little impulses that push us to create, dare, and surpass ourselves.

I also draw inspiration from nature and travel. Last November, just before my Christmas market in Vancouver, I was walking in the forest during my vacation when an idea for my next collection came to me as clear as day. These simple, sometimes insignificant moments nourish my entire creativity and transform into jewelry that tells stories.

What is your favorite stage of the creation process?

My favorite stage is when what I have imagined materializes. When the metal begins to take shape, when the jewelry is drawn under my fingers and I feel it’s going to work. It’s a very focused, almost meditative moment where everything aligns: form, material, and meaning. I love the sensation of moving from the intangible to something concrete and living, ready to be worn.

How long does it take on average to create a piece, from the idea to the final product?

Each piece is unique, and it often takes nearly a year for the idea for a collection to fully mature and turn into jewelry. During this time, I refine every detail so that the pieces are solid, comfortable to wear, and faithful to the initial idea. This meticulous work is what transforms a simple idea into unique, durable jewelry.

What are the biggest challenges of your profession today?

One of the main challenges is successfully reconciling creativity with technical constraints. A piece of jewelry must be beautiful, but also solid, comfortable, and functional. Sometimes you have to rethink or adapt an idea to make it work in reality, which requires patience and perseverance.

It is also difficult to make your work known and to find your place in a competitive market while remaining true to your vision and values.

An additional challenge today is the fluctuation in the price of precious metals. Recently, the price of silver and gold has risen sharply, which forces me to adapt and review my pricing so that my jewelry remains fair, while continuing to offer the quality and durability my customers expect. These variations are part of the realities of the profession and require flexibility and vigilance to manage my business while staying true to my creative world.

Like many artisan trades, business management takes a lot of time and energy, between creation, production, communication, and orders. Finding the balance between all these facets is a real daily challenge, but it is also what makes this profession so stimulating.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start in jewelry-making?

I would first say to follow your curiosity and passion, and not be afraid to experiment. Jewelry-making requires both technique and creativity, and you must accept that every mistake is a lesson.

It is also important to take the time to learn the basics, whether through training or experience, and to build your own personal world rather than trying to copy what already exists.

Finally, you must be aware that it is a profession that requires patience, perseverance, and adaptability. Between technical constraints, material fluctuations, and business management, you have to know how to adapt and stay motivated. But if you love to create and tell stories through your jewelry, it is an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling profession.