Life & Work with Taylor Maldonado

Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Maldonado.

Hi Taylor, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
About 5 years ago I started designing jewelry for myself. I would wear the pieces I created every day and my close friends and family all wanted me to make pieces for them. All the moms at my kid’s school and family members loved my designs and always asked me to help create pieces for them. So I started designing jewelry for other people.

I slowly started meeting new bench jewelers and learning more and more about the industry. Years later I started my own business and it grew into this amazing business. My inspiration has always been my children. being a busy mom of 3 kids I never wanted to wear huge diamonds that were flashy. I wanted dainty, everyday jewelry that would also be sparkly and beautiful.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No!! not a smooth road at all. I started designing jewelry for other people pre covid. So when covid hit I completely stopped all business. Then I got pregnant with my 3rd baby and that came with many challenges.

It was a massive struggle for me to manage 2 kids being at home learning and then having a newborn and running a business. I took about 2 years off from designing. Once my youngest turned one, I felt like I could better manage everything and started my business again.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Most of my pieces are dainty, everyday wear. Everything is all 14K solid gold (never gold plated) and always full-cut diamonds. Full-cut diamonds add more sparkle. I love jewelry you can wear daily without being too blingy, but I also make big bling pieces if that’s what my customer wants. I would say I am known for the basics, meaning, tennis bracelets, stud earrings, and eternity band rings.

The thing that sets me apart is that I offer one-of-a-kind concierge services. Most of my clients have husbands/boyfriends that have no idea what jewelry their spouse would wear daily without it being placed in a closet drawer for years. So what I do is I sit down with the spouse and I create a wish list for them.

When the client is ready to buy a gift, they text me their budget and when the piece is needed. I then pick something out that I know the spouse likes, gift wrap it, and deliver it to the client. I make it easy for both sides! The person gifting and the person receiving both wins!

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
My advice would be to keep moving forward. There will be a lot of doubt at times, but you have to remember why you started your business in the first place. There will be a lot of times when you want to give up, but trust me you have to keep moving forward and push threw those times.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.taylorkjewels.com
• Instagram: @taylorkjewelry