Local Jewelry Designer Creates Unique ‘Wearable Art’

By Lisa Lenkiewicz

Laleh Damiani began her professional career as a dental hygienist. But she had a passion for something more creative. A lover of art and fashion, she started making colorful earrings and necklaces to liven up the drab scrubs she wore at her job. It didn’t take long for patients to ask if they could purchase the jewelry. Some patients even offered to buy the jewelry she was wearing.

Damiani started a small business selling her jewelry designs. Fast forward a few years. Today, the Farmington resident is an internationally-recognized jewelry artist, with both custom designs and ready-to-wear necklaces, bracelets, earrings and belt buckles.

Her high-end line is her AZIN collection—exclusive, unique neckpieces. These designs are fabricated with gemstones, artisan borosilicate glass, freshwater and cultured pearls, abalone Swarovski crystal, sterling silver, 14 K gold, Bali and Hill Tribe silver beads and vintage beads. No two are neckpieces are alike, and they may be custom-designed around a theme. Every piece is copyrighted as “wearable art.”

“It’s a statement piece,” Damiani told Patch in a recent interview. “Often, customers want me to inscribe the jewelry because they want to pass the necklace on to a member of their family.” AZIN pieces last forever.

Although AZIN neckpieces initially may appear heavy due to the sterling silver and gold weights, Damiani said they are ergonomically correct – balanced symmetrically to rest comfortably around the neck.

A major part of Damiani’s lines are the stylized pieces of Ladami Designs. This line encompasses a wide range of earrings, necklaces and bracelets – either custom or ready-to-wear. The inventory changes frequently and prices range from as low as $10 to as high as $300.

In addition, Damiani, who is Iranian (on her father’s side), designs and creates colorful, sparkling belt buckles with a wide range of components including Swarovski crystal, glass, leather and – all resin-coated for longevity. Often, customers will bring in antique brooches, which Damiani incorporates into unique designs.

Laleh (pronounced “lah-lay” and called “La” for short) unearths materials for her designs from artists worldwide. For example, she uses a silver designer who creates with Bali and Israeli silver. She scours shows to discover unique beads and vintage brooches.

Laleh means ‘tulip’

Damiani has lived throughout Connecticut (Coventry, Tolland, Hebron and Plainville) and has been part of these communities’ art scenes from an early age. Her mother, Helen Hoelck, is a painter and dollmaker, and Laleh (“tulip” in Persian), always painted and loved fashion designing growing up.

Laleh became a dental hygienist and worked for several dentists in the Farmington Valley, including Dr. David Rizzo’s practice in Farmington.

Since 2006, she has been making jewelry fulltime. She works out of a studio in her home, where she resides with her husband Rob Damiani, two children, Adele, 14, and Julian, 12 – as well as two Chihuahuas. The AZIN line is named for Adele, whose middle name is the Persian name “Azin,” meaning “sparkling jewel.”

Even though Damiani is “crazy-busy” (it requires about 40 hours to fabricate a single AZIN piece), she finds time to teach fitness classes at Valley Fitness in Unionville and LA Fitness in Bristol. She is certified in spinning, boot camp, weight training and kickboxing. She’s also an avid runner.

Locally, her jewelry is sold at BK & Company in West Hartford, but her line has been largely marketed by word-of-mouth. She does not sell online. She hosts a trunk show at the Farmington Inn each December, and she has a sales person – Jayne Amodio of Farmington – who promotes her AZIN line on the east coast and holds trunk shows showcasing the jewelry along with the Doncaster women’s clothing line.

Damiani’s focus now is on the AZIN line. She has customers from throughout the world clamoring for her pieces. Closer to home, Governor Malloy’s wife, Cathy, modeled her jewelry in Hartford Magazine in April 2012. A loyal client is Sage Steele, a reporter on ESPN, who has worn Damiani’s custom-made jewelry on ESPN Sports Center on TV and at the ESPY Awards.

For more information, visit www.ladamidesigns.com. Call (860) 798-6695 to make an appointment with Laleh Damiani or email laleh@ladamidesigns.com. Sales rep Jayne Amodio may be reached at (860) 729-6306 or by emailing jayneamodio@aol.com.