Jewelry Designer Paula Doebrich Breaths New Life Into The Lily of The Valley And Other Imagery From Childhood Memories
Pistachio ice cream cones, red ripened cherries, life like starfish and slices of watermelon are just some of the motifs that have gone from childhood memories to sketches in a notepad to imaginative three-dimensional gold and exclusively cut gemstone jewels since Paula Doebrich’s launched her brand Meluzza, in 2024. Her most recent collection New Beginnings focuses on the Lily of the Valley and is Paula’s celebration of renewal and springtime. Lilies of the Valley have historically been a subject for jewelry designers, predominately in the Victorian and then Art Nouveau periods and then again in the mid-twentieth century and Paula’s lifelike interpretation evokes the beauty of the flower in the manner of high jewelry, expertly crafted in 18K gold, platinum, vibrant green tsavorite and demantoid garnets, white Akoya pearls and natural diamonds.
Here we talk to Paula about her background, memories and her inspirations for New Beginnings and other pieces in the Meluzza collection”
Can you tell us a bit about your background?
“I was born in Germany and we moved to Warsaw when I was quite young. I lived in my places until I moved to New York City seven years in 2018.”
Is jewelry design your first career?
‘It’s actually my third career. I started as a child model at 13 and did that for many years traveling around the globe, until I felt that it was no longer right for me. I then went back to school and became a dietician. I also held different positions in the research and clinical aspects of nutrition and after a while I began to think of it as just a career and that maybe you aren’t supposed to be passionate about your job. But I kept drawing pieces of jewelry based on memory and what moved me in a little notepad that I carried around with me. That brought out the suppressed creativity in me and I knew I wanted to take the sketches, add to them and create a jewelry collection. So I took classes at GIA and jewelry making at FIT.”
How did you finally launch Meluzza?
“I began, probably like many others in this business, designing one-off pieces for friends and friends of friends. I launched the collection with a few different concepts rather than full collections but they seemed attract attention among DTC consumers on my website and Instagram. After two prior careers, with the recognition I began to receive, I felt I had finally arrived where I was always meant to be. Now fully able to express myself, my jewelry tells my own story of rebirth, self-love, and reclaiming my power, which I will hope t will do for all that wear my designs. This is the first year I am embarking on a muti-piece collection.”
Why the name Meluzza for the collection?
“Meluzza is a fusion of two strong female symbols: Melusine and Medusa. Melusine, a mermaid from European folklore, symbolizes the city of Warsaw. The city has a deep meaning to me as that’s where my family’s roots are. Medusa, often believed to be the protector of women’s secrets, represents feminine empowerment.”
How do you design?
“I still carry a small notebook with me and sketch everything that touches me, inspired me or reminds me of my past. Once I have the concept perfected, I then have the designs rendered in CAD, chose or have the gemstones cut and then work closely with my production house in NYC to ensure all the details are correct. The house I work with is pretty amazing and is in tune with my vision.”
Can you talk about the inspiration for the New Beginnings Collection?
“ When I was a young girl, every May 1st my sister and I embarked on a quest to pick as many lilies of the valley as possible for her birthday the following day. The appearance of the lily of the valley meant that it was time to celebrate my sister’s special day – but also the renewal of spring, the fact that school would be out soon for summer holiday and capture that childlike joy and hope for the season that we would be free from homework and that fun and good times were waiting for us.
Can you talk about the symbolic mean of Lilies of The Valley that also drew you toward creating a collection around it?
“The flower has influenced culture for centuries. Lily of the Valley is associated with the Pagan goddess and personification of the spring equinox, Ostara. In Slavic folklore, it was often planted to safeguard homes against evil. The strong aroma and white petals were believed to repel bad spirits.Christians see the flower as a symbol of purity, humility, and redemption. The flowers are believed to have sprung from Eve’s tears as she was expelled from the Garden of Eden and the tears of Virgin Mary are said to have blossomed into lily of the valley.The lily of the valley is also present in Greek mythology, where a nymph transformed into a delicate white flower – believed to be lily of the valley – to escape Apollo’s advances, making it a symbol of unattainable beauty.
Perhaps the meaning with the most influence on the collection is from the Victorian Language of Flowers in which lilies of the valley represent a return to happiness!”
What are some of the other pieces in your prior collection that have references to your past?
“My first collection, The Endless Summer, was more of a mix of different imagery translated into jewelry that harked back to my past. The pistachio ice cream pieces were in reference to my late father who loved this flavor and would always order three scoops. I wanted to honor his memory and remind my clients that it’s the small moments that make life truly special. This collection also features starfish which remind me of my days spent by the sea in the summertime.
Pistachio Ice Cream Studs with Madagascar demantoid
Starfish Earrings in pink and purple sapphire
Cherries also were a big influence in my launch. Every summer, I would go to the farmer’s market with my mom and buy as many cherries as I could eat. My love for cherries went so far that my parents let me grow my own cherry tree in the garden that I cared for year-round. I always tried to find the double cherries and put them on my ear, pretending they were earrings. This memory sparked the idea for rings and earrings in rhodolite garnet and tsavorite, as I wanted to encapsulate this recollection in the form of jewelry.
Cherry Twist Earrings in rhodolite and tsavorite
Other pieces are an amalgamation of mythology, personal meanings which will have a joyful resonance with those seeing the collection for the first time or adding on to other pieces they have already purchased from me.”
In Partnership With Meluzza
