Sometimes, you end up growing up to be someone totally different from who you used to be and that could just define Merenyangla’s journey towards jewelry.
Identifying herself as a tomboyish girl, Ayang, who is of Longsa village never really took an interest in jewelry until a little later that she realized she was collecting tons of jewelry.
It was then in 2019, she thought of starting up her own local business of making jewelry but like everyone else in the beginning, she lacked confidence and trust in herself. But this changed when the inspiration and encouragement came from her aunt, who is a jeweler herself.
And it’s always true that there is always someone who will see through you and your talent. And for Ayang, it was none other than her aunt who saw through her creative designs. So, with an aunt who cheers for her, she kick-started her jewelry business on January 15, 2020.
However, Ayang, who is in her 6th semester as a sociology major student of Fazl Ali College shared that she has still not thought about pursuing a career as a jeweler as she wishes to first focus on her studies and perhaps, give back to the society someday.
“I’m open to opportunities though. If only I find the right opportunity, I would definitely love to make this small business of mine work successfully,” she said.
With that in mind, Mokokchung Times takes you through brief conversation with the young jeweler.
MTimes: Hi Ayang, where do you find your design inspiration?
Ayang: Most of my pieces are inspired by things that are around me. It’s like sometimes I get inspiration when I’m lying down and so, I’ll quickly wake up and then sketch out my design first.
MTimes: In your opinion, what skills do you need to be a jewelry designer?
Ayang: I should say there’s no skill limited to being a Jewelry maker or anything. You just have to learn and then put it into making something beautiful. I should say just have the confidence, have faith, believe and pray as the journey goes on.
MTimes: What do you want women to feel when wearing your jewelry?
Ayang: Every piece has its own unique story. I want women to feel bold & classic and feel good in their own unique features when they wear my pieces.
MTimes: Do you have a most treasured memory among those items you’ve made for someone?
Ayang: Yes, I do. Back in February 2020, right after I started my business I was blessed to have a client who wanted me to customize her grandma’s traditional necklace to an earring in memory of her late grandmother so that she can carry it everywhere she goes. So, it was such an experience for me, and that piece I made for her is my most treasured item among the works I have done.
MTimes: Is what you do Art, Craft or Design? How do you decide what you want to create?
Ayang: As said earlier, I get inspiration from certain things. After getting the inspiration, I’ll first sketch like 2-3 designs and then select the best ones and later execute it in making. And in the process, I do make many errors but yet, the end result lets me forget the tiredness. So, to me, it’s a compilation of all the three.
MTimes: What is the best compliment you have heard from your customer?
Ayang: Every Client that I have so far has only given me compliments on the items they have purchased. But yet there is this one incident which got me really inspired to work even harder. There was this client, who was so sick, but the moment she received my order, she quickly woke up from her sick bed out of excitement and then she dressed up just to match the pieces she bought from me and sent me those pictures of her wearing my jewelry saying that she loved every part of it. She then told me to humble myself, and pray every time I sell a piece to other clients and that my work makes their day too.
MTimes: Alright, Ayang. Kindly leave a message for our readers
Ayang: Put on the confidence, try to search and polish your hobbies and then make them your reality. If a particular thing you do that makes you happy do it, stand up for yourself, there is no such thing as gender inequality in this generation. Break the stereo mind set of the society and shine as you are with your Art, craft, passion and dream.
I would like to conclude by saying – “Not too late to Dream, Not too late to Achieve.”