Jewelry With a Soul

February 2012

Imagine having a job earning six figures designing jewelry for a major name brand. Now visualize giving up this comfortable paycheck to create your own socially-conscious jewelry company with nothing more than $10,000 and a friend along for the ride.

Satya Scainetti made her dream a reality after a meditation retreat in the Bahamas, where, for 35 days straight, she lived, ate and breathed yoga. “Yoga makes you fearless,” she explains. “I had so many personal visions during that trip.”

Returning from this profound journey, Satya contacted jewelry designer and longtime friend, Beth Torstrick Ward, and emphatically said “let’s do it.” Two weeks later Satya Jewelry was incorporated, and they set up shop in Satya’s rent-controlled apartment.

Beth had recently completed her own spiritual journey to Thailand, where she learned about Buddhism.

Today, Satya Jewelry consists of boutiques in New York City and London, merchandise in stores accross the world, and a thriving e-commerce business on satyajewelry.com. Yoga-inspired handmade gold vermeil and silver necklaces, rings and bracelets combine healing gemstones, spiritual symbols and sacred meanings. In fact, each piece of jewelry tagged with an explanation, so the owner knows the meaning behind the different components. Besides being just a great-looking accessory, the piece holds some message to guide the person from within. 

Success came surprisingly easy for the duo. Part of this, they believe, is because they didn’t go into the business solely with the intent of making money; rather, it was driven by their passion. “Too much focus on money can create fear,” Satya reveals. “But when you put your passion and excitement into something, you become fearless.” The money, however, did come naturally. Satya Jewelry made a profit in the first year, stunning both the owners and their accountant.

Growing steadily over the past decade, the co-founders continue to travel for design inspiration as well as to seek out causes that they can contribute to. For each item a consumer purchases, a portion is donated to children's causes throughout the world. Satya, who has a degree in social work and early childhood development, cares deeply about children’s organizations. One trip she took involved giving money—in person—to a group of Tibetan orphans who live across the border in northern India. 

The jewelry line is catching on to stars like Scarlett Johansen, Courtney Cox and even Julia Roberts, who wore some Satya pieces in an interview with Oprah, and in the movie Eat, Pray Love. The company joined forces with Patricia Arquette to raise more than $100,000 for Haitian relief after the devastating earthquake in 2010. “Partnering with celebrities has been a great way for us to reach a larger audience and help make a difference” says Satya. 

With sales continuing to rise, it is likely that Satya Jewelry will continue to expand. And Satya will stay true to her father’s advice: whatever you do, do it with passion.

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