Inspired by her own glamorously graceful life, jewelry designer Melinda Maria has created a collection of pendant necklaces that represent the greatest qualities inside every woman: love, peace, power, prosperity and sisterhood.
Melinda Maria Goddess Cluster Pendant Necklace, pictured L to R: Love, Peace, Power, Prosperity, Sisterhood
Exclusive to Nordstrom, The Goddess Collection transforms accessories into a personal experience, where you can choose who you want to be. Each 14k gold-plated necklace is set with a one-of-a-kind charm, a stone and a symbol, each of which aims to entice the most stylish woman to unlock and ignite her inner goddess.
The Los Angeles-based jeweler gives us an inside look at her life and shares how she strives to live like a goddess every day, while also shedding light on what each symbol means to her.
The Look of Love: Pictured at the Bel Air home she shares with husband Art Spigel and their two sons Levi Lucky (left), 2, and Max Magic, 3, who seem to have inherited their mother’s green thumb.
THE THREAD: Why is it important for women to tap into their inner goddesses, and how do you hope this collection enables them to?
MELINDA MARIA: I have always loved how jewelry can be inherently sentimental. I wanted to create a charm collection that is truly unique and creates a sense of empowerment to women. Women tend to forget about the qualities they embody to help them flow through life with ease, especially in times of stress or when things get tough. The Goddesses are beautiful pieces of jewelry that I hope can also serve as a reminder around your neck to always remember the inner goddess powers you have within you.
The Look of Peace: Melinda Maria keeps fit and zen by doing yoga in the morning before heading to her studio. For this Spokane, Washington, native, peace is about finding the “inner strength to stay calm and act with grace,” especially when faced with conflict.
The Look of Power: For this designer, a woman is powerful when she is “fearless and confident.”
Tell us about the making of the collection. How does it differ from others?
MELINDA MARIA: This is the first time I’ve introduced charms to the Melinda Maria collection. It was fun to brainstorm ideas to help create a cohesive representation of each goddess and then see them come to life as I played around with different combinations of charms. I feel like this was a very personal collection for me, and one that is so representative of all the special women in my life. Generally with design, we’re able to think about different pieces working for different people with different styles. I wanted every Goddess to work for every woman!
The Look of Prosperity: Chase after your dreams and, like Melinda Maria says, “Go for your gold.”
This collection is very empowering. What’s your secret to living a happier, more powerful and more enlightened life?
MELINDA MARIA: There really is no secret. However, I’ve found that the minute you stop judging others, you are able to release the judgment of yourself. For me, personally, it’s about being OK with all my faults, being able to accept failure and being comfortable in my own skin, so that nobody can bring me down. Of course, we all have shortcomings, but choosing to accept them as part of what makes me myself has always helped make me feel empowered.
The Look of Sisterhood: A girls’ night out is a must. Here, Melinda Maria shares a laugh with a friend at SLS Hotels’ The Bazaar in Beverly Hills.
Any heroines who have helped you cultivate the goddess you are today?
MELINDA MARIA: My mother, sisters, nieces, aunts and best friends. They have all played a role in who I am today and the way I am as a mother, friend, sister, aunt and niece myself. I have such incredible and diverse women in my life, who I constantly learn from and are inspired by daily.
Be inspired to write your own goddess guide and celebrate your feminine strength with this handcrafted collection of pendants.
−Qianna Smith
Photos courtesy of Melinda Maria
The Theatre at Lincoln Center was bustling as 
The California-born designer assembled 30 looks for fall/winter 2013 that brought a new attitude to sophisticated grunge.
Dressers work tirelessly to steam each look to perfection.
Malu with One Management was all smiles backstage as she shared her excitement over walking to live runway music provided by the band Wild Cub.
Show notes for the collection outlined each look as the modern girl’s manifesto. “She’s forward-thinking but doesn’t lose sight of the past. She wears her clothes with edge but not without elegance. She pushes the envelope while maintaining her polish. She’s the perfect paradox.”
We asked Solomiya Zgoda with Ford Models what she enjoyed most about the look of the collection, and she immediately held up her perfectly polished pointers. 
These herringbone booties and embossed gloves stood out in a major way. “I dream about leather,” gushed Rebecca on why it’s her favorite material to use.
Click For More: HANDBAGS & ACCESSORIES, Melinda Maria Jewelry, Video