From Italy to London: Meet Elisa, Founder of EVN Jewellery – There is often much more to a piece of jewellery than meets the eye. It might mark a special occasion, remind us of someone we love, celebrate a milestone or simply be the little detail that makes us feel good when we put it on.
For Elisa, founder of EVN Jewellery, jewellery has been part of her story for as long as she can remember. Originally from Italy, she moved to London at 20 and went on to spend almost a decade working within the jewellery industry, gaining experience across independent and luxury jewellery businesses.
But EVN began with more than a love of beautiful jewellery. After becoming a mum, Elisa found herself looking at her ambitions differently. The dream of creating her own brand, which had once felt like something for “one day”, suddenly became something she wanted to turn into reality — something she could build with purpose and perhaps one day look back on with her children and say, “My mum built that.”
Today, EVN focuses on feminine, timeless gold and pearl jewellery designed to be worn and loved every day, with limited collections that are deliberately curated rather than overwhelming.
We caught up with Elisa to talk about her journey from Italy to London, her years in the jewellery industry, becoming a founder, motherhood and the story, she hopes each piece of EVN jewellery will eventually tell.
What first drew you to jewellery?
I think I’ve always been drawn to the way jewellery can completely change how you feel, even though it’s such a small detail. Growing up in Italy, jewellery was often something very personal. Pieces were worn for years, given as gifts and attached to memories. I loved that.
When I started working in the jewellery industry, that interest became something much more serious. I realised I loved not only the jewellery itself, but understanding why someone chooses a particular piece and what it means to them. Over time, I knew I wanted to create something of my own.
You moved from Italy to London at just 20. How has that experience influenced you?
Moving to London at 20 was a huge change. I was young, away from everything familiar and really had to learn to build a life for myself. It made me much more independent and probably gave me the confidence to eventually start a business too.
Italy is still very much part of me. I think it influences my love of femininity, detail and that idea of looking put together without needing too much. London gave me something different: ambition, diversity and the confidence to experiment. EVN is probably a mixture of both.
You spent almost ten years working in the jewellery industry before launching EVN. What did those years teach you?
They taught me that jewellery is much more emotional than people sometimes realise. Women very rarely choose a piece purely because it is pretty. There is normally something about it that feels like them.
I also learnt that most women want jewellery they can actually wear. Something beautiful enough to make them feel special, but not something that has to wait in a box for an occasion. That has influenced EVN a lot. I want the pieces to feel feminine and distinctive, but still easy to make part of everyday life.
EVN came to life after you became a mum. What changed for you at that point?
Becoming a mum changed my perspective on time more than anything. Suddenly I became very aware that if there was something I had always wanted to do, I couldn’t keep waiting for the “perfect” moment.
It also changed what success meant to me. I wanted to build something that was mine, that I could be proud of and hopefully one day show my children that you can create something from an idea even when life is very busy and far from perfect. EVN had been in my head for years, but motherhood gave me the push to actually start.
Your collections are intentionally limited and carefully curated. Was it difficult to resist offering more as the business grew?
Definitely. There is always a temptation to add more, especially when you see trends changing so quickly. But I never wanted EVN to become a huge catalogue where the customer has to scroll through hundreds of similar pieces.
I would rather have a smaller collection where every piece has a reason to be there. I think it also makes the brand feel much more personal. Growing for me doesn’t necessarily mean having more and more products. It means becoming better known for a point of view.
What do you think jewellery gives us beyond simply accessorising an outfit?
Confidence, memories and identity.
There are days when you can put on a very simple outfit, add the jewellery you love and suddenly feel much more like yourself. And then there are pieces that remind you of a person, a moment or a certain stage of your life.
That emotional side of jewellery is probably what I love most. It’s a small detail, but it can carry a lot of meaning.
How do you balance being Elisa the founder with being Elisa the mum?
I’m not sure there is ever a perfect balance! Some days EVN gets more of me and other days my children need all of me.
I’ve learnt to work in the pockets of time that I have and to be quite disciplined about using them. A lot of the work happens around family life rather than the other way around.
It can definitely be challenging, but being a mum has also made me more focused. My time is limited, so I have become much better at deciding what actually matters and what can wait.
Who has inspired you along the way?
I don’t think I could honestly choose just one woman. I’ve been inspired by different women at different stages of my life.
Since becoming a mum and starting EVN, I particularly admire women who manage to keep an identity of their own alongside motherhood, careers and everything else life asks of them. Not because they make it look effortless, but because they keep going even when it isn’t.
I think seeing ordinary women quietly build lives and businesses they are proud of has probably inspired me more than any single famous person.
What has been your proudest moment with EVN so far?
Seeing EVN become something real outside of my own head.
The first time someone chose to spend their own money on a piece from EVN was incredibly special, because suddenly it wasn’t just my idea anymore. And more recently, seeing the brand receive press recognition has been another one of those moments where I’ve thought, maybe this really can become something.
I’m still very early in the journey, so those small milestones mean a lot to me.
And finally, what does the future look like for EVN?
I want EVN to grow, but I want it to grow carefully.
My dream isn’t to create another fast fashion jewellery brand with hundreds of products. I want EVN to become a recognisable British jewellery brand with a strong identity, beautiful, curated collections and customers who come back because the pieces genuinely feel like them.
I’d love to expand the collections over time, reach more women and see EVN become a business that can stand on its own while still keeping the personal feeling it has now.
And ultimately, I’d love for my children to grow up seeing EVN and knowing that their mum built it from the beginning.
More Than Just Jewellery
What I like about Elisa’s story is that EVN hasn’t been built around the idea of simply selling more jewellery. It has grown from her own experience of the industry, her understanding of what women actually want to wear and, perhaps most importantly, a long-held ambition that she finally decided was worth pursuing.
There is something particularly relatable about that. The idea of waiting for the right time, questioning whether you are ready and trying to fit your own ambitions around family life are experiences many women will recognise.
For Elisa, becoming a mum didn’t mean putting her ambitions to one side. If anything, it gave her the motivation to finally act on them.
And perhaps that is what makes EVN’s approach so appealing. The jewellery is designed to be worn, rather than saved for “best”, but the meaning behind it goes much deeper. A favourite necklace or pair of earrings can become part of our everyday lives and, over time, part of our memories too.
EVN is still at the beginning of its story, but Elisa has a clear idea of where she wants to take it: growing carefully, staying true to the brand’s identity and creating jewellery that women genuinely want to keep and wear.
And, ultimately, building something that her children can look at one day and know that their mum started it all from an idea.
Discover more about EVN Jewellery:
EVN Jewellery
Poppy Watt