About Jalnar

I was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee by my Palestinian mother, and have been passionate about creating jewelry since I received my first box of beads at the age of six. I moved to New York City after graduating high school to pursue a degree in Jewelry Design and Metalsmithing from FIT, and spent the next decade honing my skills while working under other designers and jewelers, navigating an industry that is not always welcoming to women of color. Eventually, the desire to focus on creating art instead of products became a more pressing internal need, which nudged me to push the limits of my hands and brain to grow past the grind of generating income for other companies.

For me, the joy of creating jewelry lies in the grimier bits of the process, and my goal is always to learn how to execute any idea from start to finish. My passion for technique stems within understanding and incorporating new (to me) skills that help me translate familiar motifs through the lens of fine jewelry. Learning how to properly communicate the influences of Palestinian tastes, textures, and anecdotes into metal in a way that does them justice has been creatively driving me for the last few years, and this collection feels like I’m finally scratching the surface of what I’m truly capable of sharing. 

Having spent eleven years in NYC followed by two years in Philly, I moved back to my hometown in late 2022, and spent time reconnecting with my family while finishing this first namesake collection. I’m so excited to see how I’m able to expand my voice from here. Thank you so much for taking the time to look at my work, and please feel free to reach out if you have any questions! 

All my best,

Jalnar