Nothing is quite as mystique, glorious, or enchanting, as the beauty of womanhood. The world’s most celebrated painters displayed their adoration for it through iconic paintings while some of the greatest fighters that ever lived fought endlessly to stand beside it. And though the ways of honouring the divine feminine beauty have undergone a thought-provoking evolution across nations, showing honour and appreciation is certainly not a lost art form on the youth of this era.
Within these 83,000 square miles, Amanda Jaisingh is a young Guyanese whose esteem for womanhood has been the chief inspiration for DOLNI, with love—a humble business that produces elegant jewellery handmade from clay. During an exclusive interview with Guyana Standard, the 23-year-old shared that she is juggling two time-consuming responsibilities alongside her business—a full-time job as a clerk at the National insurance scheme (NIS) and reading for a Bachelor’s in Supply Chain Management at the University of Guyana. The former student of Queen’s College said being a full-time employee, student and entrepreneur has been truly exhausting but at the same time, it is one of the most effective tools she has to preserve her mental health, particularly in the time of an unprecedented pandemic.
Speaking to the genesis of her business, the young creator who holds a Diploma in psychology from UG said, “All my close friends know I have been talking about opening a pottery studio for a while now but really and truly, finance was a big obstacle for that dream, so I figured I would seek out something else and it took me an entire year plus to realize I can still dabble in clay.”
During her social media searchings, Jaisingh said she had stumbled on a page about clay making that piqued her interest. She said she immediately started doing some homework on making clay jewellery and the different techniques that were involved along with other materials that would be required.
The entrepreneur added, “I started thinking about how I was going to get materials and pay off for school at the same time but I was so over-putting things off that I wanted to do and figured God would provide the rest.”
Jaisingh intimated that she took a leap of faith and dipped into her school savings to purchase some materials. It was her way of testing the waters to see if she would succeed in craft. Much to her surprise, her first pieces of earrings were actually “not bad.”
Jaisingh shared, “I kept practising and eventually it became a hobby; so for the next few months I just started making earrings like crazy. I had already had a name by January because of the research I mentioned earlier that I did. While researching about clay, I saw an article on its history and saw this beautiful figurine; the name of it is The Venus of Dolni Vestonice believed to be about 29000 years old, artist unknown.
“I found her to be so beautiful and I knew right away I wanted her to be the history behind my brand.”
Jaisingh who spent most of her life in River View Ruimveldt shared that “DOLNI, with love” was “birthed because of a woman and by a woman and there is so much beauty in that; womanhood and the expression of womanhood through statement pieces and that is why we try to capture the essence of what it means to be a woman through my creations, honoring women with each new collection.”
The Capricorn beauty said the addition of “with love” was her idea as she wants anyone who crosses paths with her brand to know there is so much love and thought being poured into the pieces she makes. The young woman added that with the encouragement of her partner, she had officially launched on April 25, 2021.
After her humble debut, Jaisingh said she was overwhelmed by the love, positivity and support she received from so many women and young girls as well as other small businesses across the country. She said this has no doubt boosted her confidence in her brand.
As regards some of the instruments she uses to make her unique pieces, the Dolní Proprietress said she uses a pasta machine that was given to her by her partner’s mother, a silicone roller, sponges, shapers, glazing brushes, needle and sgraffito tools, wood as well as plastic modeling tools, polymer clay, and a regular knife for cutting.
When asked about her first collection, the jeweller said, “My debut collection, THE ORIGINAL COLLECTION, was a hit. The girls loved the contemporary and stylish designs. I combined polymer clay and some gems. My most popular piece to date would have to be my single drop brass face and the face jewel gem pieces. I am still getting requests to restock but that’s tentative since I want my pieces to be one of a kind to each customer and otherwise, limited quantity.”
Jaisingh said she has since launched her second edition called, THE VENUS COLLECTION, which has already been a favourite among members of her growing fan base. While her business maybe just a few months old, Jaisingh told Guyana Standard that it has helped her in more ways than one. “Not only is it a second stream of income for me, but it helps me to be calm; especially when I’m having bad days, those days I am my most productive. So, besides the financial benefits, jewellery making has become a healthy hobby for me to deal with my everyday stressors and improve my mental health. It means the most to me to have that happy place where I can have fun and do work at the same time!”
She also intimated that while she may be a young entrepreneur, she pays close attention to customers’ needs and ensures that DOLNI with love, provides quality jewellery for customers who love an elegant, casual, or even minimalistic look.
Because of what her company represents, Jaisingh said she is always excited and happy when she delivers an order to someone. “I would double message, even triple if my customer doesn’t update me, just to make sure they’re satisfied with their piece(s). I even add gifts and bonus pairs to my orders just to surprise them because if nothing, I love a good surprise and I feel like most girls do too!”
More than anything, Jaisingh said she will always endeavour to ensure customers remember that her brand is at heart, filled with love.
Anyone desirous of purchasing one of DOLNÍ, with love pieces can make contact with Amanda Jaisingh on 655-9628.
