Sydney Nikoloff, owner of Sydney Kay Jewelry, has been designing and creating her own unique pieces for a little over four years. Nikoloff sells jewelry with the intention of helping other groovy mineral enthusiasts connect better with themselves and the world around them. As stated on her website, each piece is a reminder/token for the wearer to be authentically true, focused on the good things in life — and to look good while doing it.
“For some people buying a nice piece of jewelry for themselves is a milestone, or it’s a celebration of an important moment in your life,” Nikoloff stated. “I feel like certain things like this, or even dressing in a way that makes you feel happy and excited, invites you to be a step closer to the person that you’re trying to become.”
She began making wire wraps a decade ago and also collected crystals because she was drawn to certain stones’ metaphysical properties. She would carry gems in her pockets but eventually lose them, which inspired her to combine these two hobbies and create jewelry.
“A lot of people carry pocket crystals,” she said. “I started to lose those pocket crystals, so I thought maybe I should make it into a necklace or something. That’s where that journey began, and I never really took it seriously until, you know, much later.”
In addition to creating unique designs meant to illuminate the best parts of her clientele, Nikoloff said another unique aspect of her work comes from her background in sustainability studies. She attended Colorado Mountain College (CMC) for the subject and tried to implement what she learned there into her business, using the metal-smithing bench she received from her boyfriend.
“I went to school for sustainability at CMC, so I try to implement that into my business, where I use as many recycled metals as possible. I can tell you where every stone I’m using has come from, who mined it, and from where and who cut it. I’m pretty strict on sourcing my materials,” she said.
Many of the stones used for her pieces are local, some of which come from a neighbor who owns a few mines around the Valley. In cases where the stones and materials can’t be found locally, one of her goals is to ensure they are still ethically sourced from small operations and places that don’t contribute to injustices.
“It’s important to me to be careful where materials come from,” Nikoloff explained. “Even if it’s not local, I’d rather support a small family-owned mining operation. Some stones, like lapis, come from Afghanistan, and a lot of that is mined by the Taliban. Same with Burmese rubies, most of the mines are owned by the government. So, if you’re buying rubies from Burma [Myanmar] right now, you’re indirectly funding their genocide in some ways. I think it’s important to know who’s mining your materials and that you’re not supporting terrorists or genocide indirectly,” Nikoloff explained.
Sydney Kay Jewelry sells primarily online out of Nikoloff’s home studio, as well as on the maker market scenes. She can mainly be found at the Carbondale Farmers’ Market and occasionally at Basalt’s Sunday Market in the summers. Additionally, she has partnerships with businesses in the Roaring Fork and Crystal valleys, including True Nature’s boutique, Joy and Wild in Redstone and a small display at Aspen Art Museum where some of her pieces can be found.
While she does dream of having a storefront one day, she said she’s content with what she has going now. Discussing her goals for 2025, Nikoloff shared she is working on adjusting her prices and is incorporating gold into her work.
“I’m trying to widen my price ranges, going higher on some pieces and lower on others. I’m also trying to make some pieces that are a little more affordable. Although I love making my big, fun art pieces, I think especially with selling in-person, it’s helpful to have things that people can buy and not have to think twice about it,” she said.
For more information or to purchase from Sydney Kay Jewelry, visit www.sydneykayjewelry.com or follow @sydneykay.jewelry on Instagram.
