Adina Reyter

The L.A. jewelry designer discusses entrepreneurship, motherhood, and — of course — diamonds.

Photography by Kate Jones

Over the years, Adina Reyter’s jewelry designs have been worn by Meghan Markle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lady Gaga, and Madonna. But long before launching her eponymous label in 2001, the jewelry designer was well aware it would be an uphill – and ongoing – battle toward success.

“I grew up in a family business,” Reyter explains, seated in the living room of her traditional California home in Hidden Hills. “My great-grandparents came over here as immigrants with nothing. My great-grandmother decided that they were going to start a knitwear business. She brought everybody from Brooklyn to Los Angeles and started a business in the fifties. It became really big. At one point, in the seventies, it was a multi, multi-million-dollar business. Everyone had Leroy Knitwear.”

She sighs.

“I also saw that business fail when I was in high school,” she says. “It crumbled.”

“As sweatshirts and fleece came in, people weren’t wearing knits as much,” she continues. “They had a hard time pivoting and seeing the future. It was a stressful time for my family and that experience changed my life. I saw what hard work and perseverance will get you. I never forgot that.”

Reyter took those lessons to heart when launching her jewelry business. Twenty years later, her company is as popular as ever with Gigi Hadid, Demi Lovato, Margaret Qualley, Yara Shahidi, and other members of young Hollywood embracing Reyter’s delicate designs, in addition to longtime loyalists.

“We’ve been fortunate to have a lot of celebrities wear our pieces,” Reyter says, sharing that one of her earliest high-profile placements was on Jennifer Aniston during an episode of “Friends.” “I used to sell to a store in Studio City, that’s still there, called Stacey Todd on Ventura Boulevard. The wardrobe person from ‘Friends’ walked in and bought my entire collection.”

After Aniston wore one of Reyter’s pieces on an episode of ‘Friends,’ the jewelry designer’s business took off. She quit her day job to focus on her brand full-time.

THE JOURNEY TO JEWELRY

Until that point, Reyter had been working in advertising in San Francisco as her then-boyfriend, now husband, Ilya Reyter, completed medical school.

“It was the dot com boom and subsequent bust,” Reyter remembers. “I survived about seven rounds of layoffs. We worked with gigantic Fortune 500 companies, Pets.com, and Adobe, doing digital advertising.”

Reyter has always had an innate entrepreneurial spirit and dedicated work ethic that comes naturally. “I love the hustle,” she says. “The people I like most in life are the ones that have that hustle. No matter what it is they’re doing.”

She credits her family’s knitwear business with contributing to her outlook and attitude. “I grew up working sample sales downtown,” she says. “We would get there at in seven in the morning and work until seven at night. Growing up, my parents had financial issues, so I’ve never not had a job; I worked as a hostess at a restaurant. I worked at a movie theatre. I was a teaching assistant at an elementary school in college. Working helped me understand what I wanted to do, which was have my own creative business. I knew that I wanted financial freedom as well as intellectual freedom, but I didn’t know what that was going to look like.”

One day, Reyter came across an article about a woman who launched a jewelry company with just one necklace. “I thought, ‘I can do that,’” she remembers, explaining it was the motivation she needed to set her passion for design in motion. “I started to take metal work classes in the evening knowing that I was going to start a business. I’ve always loved design—every single facet of design—from industrial design to architecture. I like the way that people interact with daily objects.”

Reyter took classes at a small studio in San Francisco. “I learned all the ins and outs and details of fabrication,” she says. “I made my first necklace and it was a hammered metal circle in sterling silver and 14k gold on a delicate chain. I could not walk down the street without somebody stopping me. I would go to Starbucks and get a coffee and the guy pouring me coffee would say, ‘I love your necklace.’ I knew it was different and I was on to something, so I quickly created an entire collection around that. I think I had about twelve pieces when I launched.”

Web designers and copywriters from Reyter’s day job in advertising helped her create her first website. Shortly after, she and her dermatologist husband moved back to Los Angeles, where they’re both from originally. Reyter continued working in advertising, but spent her days and hours off building her jewelry brand.

“I was very open about it,” Reyter says. “I never hid what I was doing. I was always hustling. I’d wake up early and call Henri Bendel [before going to work].” Through trunk shows, she placed her pieces in a handful of boutiques in Los Angeles and New York. She says she made every interaction count. “I met all of these interesting people who gave me insight into the industry,” she reflects. “I didn’t go to school for design. I didn’t have a background in fashion, so every piece of information, I held onto tight.”

THE BALANCING ACT

In addition to running a small jewelry empire, Reyter is the mother of three children (Rimona, 16; Simon, 14; and Liel, 11). “Whatever I put into my work, I also put into my family,” she says. “It is the same dedication and drive that I have for them to be good little people and to grow up to be decent humans. I try to do the same for my business.”

While she manages to make balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood look easy, she acknowledges that easy is an illusion. It’s a matter of prioritizing, according to Reyter. “As a business owner with three children, you have to make choices,” she says. “My business is my firstborn child and I have always seen it that way. I started my business before children. But as I’ve had children, I’ve had to make certain choices to say, ‘You know what? I want to be there for them. I want to be able to go to a school play or a sports event or pick them up,’ so I have to hire someone to do things that I don’t want to do. There’s been moments where maybe I don’t make as much money, but you make choices and you learn from every single one of those choices. Ultimately, they make you a better, stronger parent and business owner.”

Reyter found herself particularly tested when her son was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2016. “That broke me—what I went through with my son,” she says, explaining he underwent three surgeries to reconstruct his colon. With the help of family and employees, she managed to balance supporting his needs while keeping her company afloat. “Superheroes emerge as superheroes because they have to be broken and they emerge as their true selves,” she says, reflecting on that time. “I’m a better person now. I see the world differently. I see things for what they are. It’s similar to what we went through [as a society] with Coronavirus; you recognize what’s important in life.”

LOCKDOWN LIFE

“The last year has been a giant transformation,” Reyter says. “I try to look at things from a positive and optimistic perspective.”

In the earliest days of the pandemic, like most people, Reyter set up shop at home. “I brought my office and my entire showroom home,” she says. “It was actually an incredible experience for my children because even though they know what I do, they saw it firsthand. They became my photographer; my Instagram mavens; they were helping me set up my displays. They got a quick lesson in Entrepreneurship 101.”

However, Reyter is quick to point out that her children are older and thus were more self-sufficient when it came to virtual school. “They’re independent, so in some ways my life was easier because I wasn’t pulled in as many directions,” she admits. “I didn’t have to drive them to school, pick them up, drive to soccer, to cheer practice, pick someone up from [wherever]. Three kids, three different schedules is a lot to manage, so in some ways, I was able to catch my breath and also spend time with them in ways that I hadn’t before. We would all have lunch together.”

Once Reyter got into a rhythm personally, she pivoted professionally. “In the beginning, everyone worked from home and one person would go in and we would ship every day and figure out how to make it work,” she says. “As time progressed and we took a deep breath, we obviously instituted all the necessary [COVID protocols]—six feet and washing your hands and masks, but we went in and we did it safely.”

DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY

“I think that [the pandemic] will fundamentally change the way people do things forever,” Reyter says, explaining she used to go to trade shows in New York five times a year to get in front of buyers. Instead she and her team began hosting virtual events. “We shifted quickly,” she says. “Because we’re a small business, we’re able to be a little bit more nimble than some of the larger companies out there. We were able to support our boutiques and do all these unique programs for them because their stores were closed. We would do Instagram Lives with our boutiques and we would do online trunk shows for them and then we would ship direct to their [customers].”

The new normal also forced Reyter to become more comfortable in front of the camera in order to engage with customers and wholesalers from a distance. “I love talking about my business,” she says, “but I had to take that show on the road and put it out there in front of people so that they understood who we are. I’m not shy. I don’t mind public speaking, but I don’t love having to be on Instagram. Showing my life is weird. …. But [as a business] I have to do it.”

Her ability to adapt paid off. She managed to grow her wholesale and e-commerce business and her sales remained steady throughout the pandemic. “Apparently, during a lockdown, people buy workout clothes, pajamas, and jewelry,” she says, awestruck. “It’s interesting, isn’t it? I think it’s because jewelry always fits you. So if you’re stuck in your house and you’re snacking and eating more – jewelry is still going to fit.”

Her other theory is that it’s because jewelry is often equated with milestones and a feeling of joy. Reyter says it’s about finding happiness in the little things – be it jewelry or otherwise. “Happiness is a choice that you make every day,” she says. “There’s a million reasons to be miserable in the world. You have to choose to celebrate the good things in life and to look at the positive. I’m not saying that to be ridiculous or look at the world through rose-colored glasses. You have to be realistic.”

Reyter says she’s attempted to find the silver lining each step of the way and is encouraged by what she’s learned in the process. “It’s another lesson in resiliency and in being able to [prioritize and pivot],” she says. “In some ways, I think I became more productive because you do less of the things that don’t matter. I’m using my time so much more efficiently and effectively now.”

WHAT’S AHEAD

Reyter recently released the Diana Collection inspired by Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring. “I feel a connection to the Royal Family,” she says. "Because Meghan Markle — who at the time had access to the world's most spectacular jewels — chose to wear our pieces over and over again, I was inspired to bring Diana's jewelry to life in an everyday wearable way. I am known for diamonds, so branching out into sapphires was an exciting step. We created an entire collection inspired by Diana and modernized it for today. We also took some of our core styles and thought about how to add this incredible stone to make those pieces work. Diamonds and sapphires are a perfect combination.”

Reyter also launched a Great American West-inspired collection, which features wildflowers as well as fringe and lasso details. While the jewelry designer takes her cues from the past, she’s always looking ahead and dreaming up new designs. She says work provides a genuine sense of joy.

“It gives you purpose and something meaningful to think about,” Reyter says. “That’s what you can [control]. Your children, your life, your husband, everything else – they all have minds of their own. Your business is yours.”

HOW SHE LIVES

“The average day is chaos; you just have to embrace it,” Reyter says, while prepping food in the kitchen of the Hidden Hills home she and her family have lived in since 2017. “I try to make a list of things that I must get done that day. I go into the office around ten and try to come home by—sometimes three, sometimes five. It depends on whether my kids have soccer [or some sort of activity]. I was the only one who could drive them anywhere [during the pandemic]. I lost all my grandparent help for a while. Now that they’ve been vaccinated, I have a little bit more flexibility. Grandparent Uber is everything. My husband [said], ‘We should move somewhere.’ I [said], ‘That means we’d lose Grandparent Uber. We don’t want to do that.’”

THE CARTIER BOOK

“I just got this unbelievable Cartier book about Aldo Cipullo,” she says, referencing the famous Italian jewelry designer who is credited with creating the company’s iconic Love bracelet. “I love the way he and Elsa Peretti looked at jewelry. Yes, they do high-jewelry, but they were revolutionary [in their approach]. They created daily jewelry that you wear as a reminder of what’s important to you in life. They were meant to be worn and lived in and enjoyed every day all the time for years to come.”

THE ACCESSORIES

“Accessories are the most important part of your outfit,” Reyter says. “Everything I’m wearing is designed by me—with the exception of my [Cartier] watch.” Reyter is sporting her company’s Turquoise + Diamond Horseshoe Bracelet and Ceramic Pavé Folded Heart Tennis Bracelet.

THE NECKLACES

“I’m obsessed with this whole necklace situation,” she says, wearing her brand’s Diamond + Aquamarine Riviera Necklace and Diamond Cut Chunky Chain Necklace paired with a custom Mega Rodeo Bead Party Necklace. “Even if it’s a fancy necklace, I think if you own it, wear it. It dresses up a t-shirt and jeans. It looks great on a Zoom call. These are investment pieces. They’re not going to go out of style.”

THE EARRINGS

“When I first started, I don’t think I realized I was starting a trend,” she says, clad in her label’s Grace Two Marquise Posts, the Diana Sapphire + Diamond Ear Cuff, and the Large Heirloom Baguette Ear Cuff. “It was all costume jewelry and these big, chunky stones. I was the first one to do this everyday, wearable, delicate, but still really durable jewelry. We were doing something at a similar price point as costume jewelry—that you could live in and it worked with your day. I wanted jewelry that lived with me through my day, so I was really creating things for me, for my friends, for the people that I knew.”

THE BEAD PARTY

“My favorite collection I’ve ever designed is Bead Party,” she says, referencing her custom Mega Picnic Party necklace. “You choose your venue, which is your hoops or chain or bangle bracelet, then you invite beads to the party. The whole thing feels joyful. I started with three beads for my three kids. Then it grew to two more for myself and my husband, and as you can see, it is now a bead party extravaganza – and I’m the ultimate party planner. And you can make it your own with special numbers and letters, your kids’ initials, whatever milestone and accomplishment or celebration you want to mark, you can get a bead for it.” She paired the custom design with her company’s Turquoise + Diamond Half Riviera and Stack Baguette Half Riviera necklaces as well as various rings from her collections: the White Ceramic Pavé Folded Heart Signet, the Full Stack Baguette, and three stacked rings (the Baguette Eternity Band Ring, the Diamond Station Eternity Band Ring, and the Diamond Shared Prong Eternity Band Ring) from her label’s Eternity Band collection.

THE RINGS

“I’m very into signets,” she says, referencing her rings — among them are the Baguette Horseshoe Signet, the Diana Sapphire + Diamond Eternity Band, the Super Tiny Diamond Station Eternity Stacking Ring, and the Diamond Shared Prong Eternity Band. “I love the horseshoe. One of the core tenants of my business is happiness and jewelry at an amazing price point that you can wear every day. Jewelry is different than other objects. You wear it because someone gave it to you. It’s meaningful.” She completed the look with her label’s Thick Cable Chain and 7mm Italian Chain Link bracelets.

THE BUSINESS

“I don’t want you to buy my jewelry because I’m a woman-owned business,” she says. “I want you to buy it because you love it. I want you to buy it because we’re passionate about it because we love our product and we think about every detail of it. We have thoughtful designs. We’re this optimistic company that’s looking towards the future. We want to give you a product that you can wear throughout your life that will make you feel beautiful. I don’t want you to buy it because I’m a woman. I want you to buy it because I’m doing the best job possible. I never called myself a girl boss and if I did it would be as a joke because I don’t like it.”

She points to the fact that women have been making big moves since the beginning of time. “Look at what Elsa Peretti did in the seventies,” she says, referencing the late Italian jewelry designer who was best known for her work with Tiffany & Co. “Elsa Peretti was this unbelievable icon of a woman who transformed the way that people wore jewelry.”

On display are Adina Reyter’s Turquoise + Diamond Oval Snake Pendant; Small Hexagon Diamond Rays Pendant; a custom Bead Party Necklace - Wide Confetti Party Favors; a custom Bead Party Necklace - Lucky Day Party Favors; a custom Bead Party Necklace - Mega Picnic Party; and a custom Bead Party Necklace - Luxe Bead Party.

THE BLAZER

Reyter purchased her Jason Wu blazer at Bergdorf Goodman during a work trip to New York. “I got this on sale,” she says, clad in Toteme pants with a cotton shirt she purchased at Target for six dollars. “We all have it in my office. I have it in every color. Everyone in my office has multiples. It is my favorite tank top. They sell out. We were on a wait list for them.”

HER FASHION PHILOSOPHY

“People will have an opinion on the way that you put yourself together,” she says, wearing an Alex Mill blouse, Agolde jeans, and Chanel slacks. “It matters. You teach your children good manners; your nails are brushed; your hair is brushed. I’m trying to teach my children those good manners. Getting dressed is the way you present yourself – it’s important. Everyone [says], ‘Don’t be so judgmental,’ and I tell my kids the opposite. You’re going to walk into a room and you want to get a job one day—what do you want out of life?”

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

“My entire holiday collection last year was inspired by the great outdoors because that’s all we could do [for a year],” she says, clad in a Ciao Lucia top, Agolde jeans, and Birkenstock shoes. “I had a whole collection based on wildflowers because that’s what everybody’s been doing. What inspires me most are the women that I’m friends with and the women that I see and the way we live our lives.”

THE FAMILY HEIRLOOM

“This is a mortar and pestle from Russia or Hungary in 1902,” she says, explaining that her family passed it down to her. “That they brought on the boat.” Reyter’s family and her husband’s family are both huge inspirations to her. “As third and fourth generation Americans, we, many times, forget the hustle,” Reyter says. “I’m married to an immigrant. My husband is from the former Soviet Union. His parents came here with $126. That was it for a family of four and their grandmother. They lived in a tiny apartment in West Hollywood. My father-in-law was a home health care worker for a little bit. He’s a trained dentist in Russia. So is my mother-in-law, so they had to learn English, go to dental school…. Dental practices are different here in America. It took them years to pass the boards, but ultimately, they were able to buy a beautiful home and have a dental practice.”

THE PERRIER PIECE

“It’s an old vintage print,” Reyter says of the Bernard Villemot-designed piece. She’s a big fan of the French graphic artist who is best known for creating art deco advertising campaigns for brands like Bally Shoes. “It’s a signed print. He is truly an artist. When I saw it, I knew it had to be mine.” She says the Perrier-inspired piece is also a cheeky nod to her daily routine. “I live my entire life fueled by coffee and sparkling water,” she says. “The older I get, the more I realize life is hard and it’s about the small joys and, to me, sparkling water is a small joy and a giant joy. It’s what gets me through my day.”

THE GIFT

“My husband went on a trip to Israel and he bought this,” Reyter says, referencing a painting of Jerusalem. “He [said], ‘I got you an amazing present.’ A giant crate came and I opened it up. It was the biggest thing I’d ever seen. I [said], ‘We don’t have a wall that that’s going to fit on.’ It only fits in the most prominent place in the house.”

UNWINDULAXING

“We cook as a family,” Reyter says, explaining she became more aware of what her family was eating as a result of her son’s health issues. “Food has become an important part of how we live our lives. I used to buy Goldfish crackers and all this junk. When we’re out, I’m not crazy. But we cook a lot that way I know what’s in it.” She was raised observing her mother and grandmothers’ cooking. “I grew up going to Shabbat dinner for 40 people every Friday night,” she says. “Every Friday night, my grandmother made dinner. It was multi-generational. You get a different flavor of life when that happens and a different view of what you can accomplish.”

HER DOG

Reyter’s five-year-old pup is named Archie. Despite the Meghan Markle connection, the jewelry designer insists her dog was named before Markle’s first son. “The day that she had her baby and named it Archie, I got a hundred texts that said, ‘She named her baby after your dog,’” she laughs. “We named him after Archie Comics, which my daughter is obsessed with. When we got him, he had orange eyebrows, so she named him Archie.”

HER APPROACH

“I was on a panel once,” Reyter remembers, “and someone [said], ‘How do you deal with bad news?’ And one woman that was on the panel with me – she has a big clothing company. She [said], ‘I go for a walk and I clear my head,’ and part of me was thinking—that’s all I hear.” Reyter acknowledges that, for her, it takes much more than a walk. It’s about being tenacious and learning to thrive off the negative.

“As an entrepreneur, you hear ‘no’ more than you hear ‘yes,’” she says. “You can’t have a big ego and be devastated by that. You’ve got to get up and think, ‘Okay. It just means no for right now. It doesn’t mean no forever. And then how do I fix it? How do I make it better? And how do I hear a yes?’”

She applies those questions to her business by asking herself: “What do I have to do with my line? What do I have to do for the customer experience? What do I have to do to my website so that I can make that a yes?’” Reyter says she enjoys troubleshooting and “thinking about those issues – that’s what I love, that’s what I do 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If I didn’t, I think I would make everyone really crazy. I wake up every day and we think, ‘How can we make our jewelry better? How can we make the customer service experience better? How can we make every single piece of my business better?’ That’s happiness, to me.”