Founded in New York, and fabricated in both NYC and LA, Mana Made is a jewelry brand created by Amanda 'Mana' Paulsen. The jewelry is sustainably made, utilizing recycled metals and small-batch production processes. Each piece reflects Mana’s love of simplicity, as well as her coastal roots, having grown up on Long Island’s East End and later moving to southern CA, fostering her innate connection to nature, the sea, and sand that lines both the coastal and desert lands.
Mana spends most of her time these days in NYC, traveling back to southern CA to work with her production partner in DTLA. Read more about the designer's roots and connection to New York City's creative community in TheNYTimes and her design process that draws from time spent living on the west coast in an interview with SHOUTOUT LA.
A native New Yorker, Mana began making jewelry during her time living in Southern California. Amidst the palm tree lined coast and sun filled days a passion project was born.
Fast forward a decade, she found herself back in NYC working as a consultant for nonprofit arts organizations, museums, and artist residency programs. Inspired by both the works of art and artists themselves encountered in this field of work, she set out on her own creative path to explore the art of metalsmithing and design.
After apprenticing under experts in the jewelry industry at several NYC based community metal arts studios, the first collection was made. And soon to follow was the ‘Mana Made’ brand, which is now produced in NYC and LA.
