Linda Achan: the woman behind Ayana Jade
Ayana Jade is the new London jewellery company, a modern alternative to the jade industry creating sustainable and wearable jadeite jewellery
Adorned with hallmarked silver and gold necklaces, charms, earrings, bracelets, and rings that display the myriad colours jade can naturally be found, Linda Achan discusses her new business endeavour, Ayana Jade.
Linda Achan is a powerhouse entrepreneur. She’s the CEO of NatureWrap, a food technology company and the CEO and Creative Director of Ayana Jade, a contemporary sustainable jade jewellery company.
She started her career in data infrastructure — structured cabling, before embarking on entrepreneurship. She’s focused on natural resource optimization and circular design; “So anything below the ground, and just trying to find a process of how we can maximize its use. I do feel like we’re custodians of the earth. So, I’m very mindful of not wasting things.”
In the jade business, the finest-quality jadeite is an almost transparent vibrant emerald-green, known as Imperial Jade. However, jade comes in various other shades of green, and dark green — almost black, white, grey, and even reddish purplish brown.
With the creation of her pieces, Linda uses all these colours and pieces of jade that have not been traditionally used in fine jewellery, stones that are considered imperfect because the veins are visible. She says, “I adore it because I see it replicated in nature.”
Linda gets inspiration for her collection from nature and the beauty that can be found in the imperfections of nature. “So for me the things that are considered imperfect are perfect to me, I don’t want to conceal the natural structure of the jadeite. I want to actually highlight it. Because when you look at a leaf you can see the veins, I think there’s beauty in that. Same with flowers.”
She goes on to say “The stunning veins and colour variations on plants remind me of jadeite veins. That’s why I seek to use all colours and showcase the veins and grains in my designs and not conceal them with artificial chemicals to create a perfect coloured gemstone, which happens in the jade industry.”
Whilst using jade stones that would otherwise be disregarded, Ayana Jade is also focusing on provenance and “producing something ethical” Linda says. “I feel like you need to know where this thing comes from. And people are more socially conscious now. They don’t want to feel bad about what they’re wearing.”
Her first collection is in the final stage, featuring hoops, chain earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets with delicate round jade charms in different sizes.
Her designs are elegant, modern, and wearable, which appeals to a wider market, a challenge the traditional jade jewellery business is trying to overcome. “By having charms, it is a more accessible way of buying jadeite, and buying luxury” Linda says. She wants to “combine an ancient stone with modern design.”
As an innovator, she fits in perfectly at Makerversity, a community in Somerset House supporting entrepreneurs and creatives like Linda and Ayana Jade. “They just want people that are, solutions-focused, people that think outside the box, designers, engineers etc” Linda says.
Makerversity supported Linda in running an International Women’s Day event, where people came to learn more about jewellery and Ayana Jade through an interactive quiz. “the gaming provided an engaging atmosphere, I like the fact that I’m able to create something that appeals to different cultures, and also different generations” she says, reflecting on creating wearable heirlooms.
Linda hopes for longevity, for Ayana Jade and the jewellery she is creating. “I’m very excited about the possibilities just because we’ve had so much interest. I want to see people wearing it in different settings, to the office, out shopping, a sports game, a cocktail reception. That’s why I want to make sure that the pieces are made well, from the get-go. So that people come back, and people trust the brand. That’s important to me. I’m a high-integrity person. So that component is super important to me.”
