About Lala

My Name is Lauren and I am the creator of Lala Jewelry.
I have been an artist since the day I could hold a crayon.  I am a lover of nature, travel, good food and community.
I started making jewelry in high school.  I worked for a small silver shop where we made wire and bead jewelry.  It was a popular little shop and my mentor, as well as our customers, loved what I made.  
After high school I attended  Montserrat College of Art, a tiny school of 600 students located in Beverly Massachusetts.  During this time I worked for a small wholesale jewelry company.  From a tiny office in Gloucester, Massachusetts I assisted the owner in the making of her designs.  The owner was in her thirties, creative, ambitious and a wonderful and encouraging employer.  Her passion was inspiring.
After two years in school I decided that I wanted to pursue jewelry full time and since Montserrat did not offer a jewelry program, I left.  I spent a summer on Nantucket and during that time my first mentor passed away suddenly.  In his will he left me all of his tools and equipment.  He believed so much in my talent.  I thought to myself then, this was my path.   
I loaded my car with my tools, wire and beads and headed on a cross country road trip.  My destination was Lake Tahoe, California.  I was drawn to the outdoor lifestyle and the beauty of the mountains was truly inspiring.  I immediately got a job at a ski resort but made jewelry at night after work.  Once I had a small amount of inventory I looked up every jewelry shop in the area, made a list and started visiting each store in hopes of selling my work.  One of the first shops I went into was a mom and pop fine jewelry store called “Ali Athari Fine Jewelry.”  The owner, Ali, was a talented master jeweler who just happened to be in need of an assistant.  He appreciated my ambition and the quality of my work.  He offered me an apprenticeship then and there.  I spent 5 years working for Ali.  Learning the ins and outs of the making and selling of fine jewelry.  It was a wonderful learning experience.
It has been 18 years since I first started making jewelry.  I now have a successful business that includes numerous wholesale accounts, a website and a body of work I am proud of.  I am so grateful for all of the mentors that inspired my work.  I hope you find inspiration in my work as well!
Enjoy!