Today we’d like to introduce you to Vana Chupp.
Hi Vana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born in a small beach town in southern Albania to an Albanian father and a Greek mother. As the oldest of three sisters, I was also the first in my family to leave my country. In 1999, I moved to the United States to study architecture, a discipline that shaped the way I think about form, proportion, and storytelling through design.
While in college, I met my husband, and we married in 2003. Today, we are raising two wonderful sons together—who continue to inspire much of my creative work.
I founded my business in 2008 during the early days of motherhood, while searching for a way to bring creativity back into my life. What began as a personal ritual—documenting my firstborn son’s ever-changing baby profile through silhouette art—quickly became something more. I started selling my work on Etsy, launched my website in 2011, and soon discovered a deep connection between storytelling, memory, and jewelry.
That tender attempt to preserve a fleeting moment blossomed into a lifelong passion for creating custom, meaningful pieces. My work centers around silhouette jewelry and accessories, each one entirely custom and crafted in 14K solid gold. I design with intention—capturing loved ones, milestones, and life’s most meaningful moments—and I find great joy in helping clients tell their unique stories through jewelry they can carry close.
In 2021, I embraced a new chapter for my namesake brand, one that honored its origins while allowing space for creative growth and evolution. What began with a single silhouette has grown into Vana Chupp Studio—a fine jewelry atelier known for timeless design, thoughtful craftsmanship, and deeply personal heirlooms.
Today, our work is worn by a global community who share in the beauty of preserving love and legacy. My team and I are committed to crafting pieces that honor each client’s story and stand the test of time. It is both our joy and our privilege to create fine heirlooms meant to be cherished—and passed down—for generations to come.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Far from it. But I wouldn’t trade the challenges I’ve faced for anything. Each one has taught me resilience, patience, and the importance of continuing to show up—even when the path felt uncertain.
One of the hardest parts has been building a life and a business far from my family. Not having them nearby brought its own set of emotional and practical challenges, especially in the early years of motherhood and entrepreneurship. Throughout it all, my husband and a close community of friends have been my greatest source of strength and support.
I didn’t go to business school, and I didn’t start with a formal business plan. I learned by doing—sometimes the hard way. Along the journey, I’ve experienced disappointment and been let down by people I trusted, but those moments taught me to trust myself more deeply, to lead with integrity, and to keep moving forward with confidence.
I’ve bootstrapped my business from the very beginning, without investors, relying on intuition, hard work, and a deep belief in what I was building. Looking back, I’m incredibly grateful for the obstacles, because they shaped both the business and the person I’ve become. Running a business has been one of my greatest teachers, and every challenge has played a role in bringing me to where I am today.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At its core, my work is about preserving memory through fine jewelry. I specialize in custom, silhouette-based designs and heirloom redesigns—pieces that capture the people, moments, and stories our clients want to hold close. While silhouettes remain central to our studio, our work has expanded to include thoughtfully designed medallions, lockets, rings, and custom projects, all crafted in 14K solid gold with an emphasis on longevity and craftsmanship.
What we’re most known for is our deeply personal approach. Every piece begins with a conversation. Whether a client is commemorating a child, honoring a loved one, or reimagining inherited jewelry, my role is to translate their story into a wearable design that feels both timeless and intimate. No two pieces are ever the same, and that level of intention is what defines our work.
What I’m most proud of is the trust our clients place in us—often during meaningful or emotional moments in their lives. Many return years later to mark new milestones, and seeing our jewelry become part of a family’s evolving story is incredibly humbling.
What sets us apart is the intersection of storytelling, fine craftsmanship, and thoughtful design. My architectural background influences how I approach proportion, balance, and detail, while my personal history—rooted in family, motherhood, and memory—shapes the emotional core of the work. We don’t follow trends or mass-produce pieces; instead, we focus on creating heirlooms meant to be worn, lived in, and passed down for generations.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something that often surprises people is that I have formal training in architecture. Before jewelry, I studied architecture, and that education quietly guides so much of my design aesthetic—how I think about proportion, balance, negative space, and how a piece exists in relationship to the body. Even when I’m designing something deeply emotional, there’s a strong structural and intentional foundation beneath it.
Another thing many people don’t know is that because I was born and raised in Europe, I’m fluent in both Greek and Albanian, and I can get by in French and Italian as well. Language has always shaped the way I experience the world—it’s taught me how to listen closely, communicate thoughtfully, and appreciate nuance. I think that sensitivity carries into my work, especially when helping clients articulate stories that are deeply personal or emotional.
Both my architectural training and my multicultural upbringing have influenced not just how I design, but how I connect—with people, with stories, and with the meaning behind each piece.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vanachuppstudio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanachuppstudio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanachuppstudio
- Other: https://thejewelrytells.substack.com/
