Walk Beside Us: Here’s our Story
Our Inspiration & Purpose….What is Yours?
At the start of each year, we reflect on the past and look forward to the future! We are grateful to have each other as sisters, Nevra and Meyla, working together as co-founders of Beksan Designs. Creating a family business is amazing and has been the realization of Meyla's life-long dream.
But what was truly gratifying was seeing our Turkish mother's eyes light up knowing we named our company after her father. Beksan was his surname, and we created a family business honoring the legacy of our grandfather. It has been a true labor of love so we’re sharing our inspiration for creating Beksan Designs and the core values for our business.
As children we learned so much from our grandmother. Together we visited Topkapi Palace and discovered the beauty of both precious and semi-precious gemstones. Emeralds, diamonds, and turquoise set-in daggers and beautiful antique Ottoman era jewelry pieces amazed us.
We discovered our love for jewelry in the shops of Istanbul, Turkey. The unique look of Ottoman era jewelry made with gemstones, 24k gold and sterling silver served as the inspiration for our Beksan Designs brand. One article we read recently described, “Istanbul is making waves in jewelry design, in the last 10 years.”
As sisters, we agreed that we wanted to create a stylish, sustainably sourced, high quality, and affordable jewelry business. With these goals in mind, we started by creating our Antika & Crystal Collections. The metals used are eco-friendly and the gemstones are naturally sourced. Some of our favorite gemstones are labradorite, mother of pearl, rose quartz, lapis, and turquoise. We hand select our stones and all pieces are hand crafted.
Our Zinc dipped in Sterling Silver and Silver collections were inspired by their uniqueness, ecological sustainability, and for being hypo allergenic. Of note, our silver collection is made with .925 pure sterling silver. Did you know using zinc in jewelry started in 1400 BC? Zinc, when alloyed, is durable and strong, then dipping it in sterling silver gives it a beautiful luster.
In 2011 Beksan Designs was born, it continues to be here for you today and hopefully for many years to come. Before passing away in 2019, our mom was thrilled that our jewelry and accessories have been so well received and that we’re sharing her heritage with our customers. We are lucky that she shared the joy and excitement we experienced in developing this business.
Creating a legacy that reflects one’s heritage while sharing the beauty and magic of Turkey and the United States is what Beksan Designs is all about. We appreciate our customers and will continue to share why we are here for you! We hope you’ll visit us soon, on our website, at an in-person or virtual event. You can also contact us directly for orders or style tips: meyla@beksandesigns.com.
Beksan Designs Core Values:
1) Unique, meaningful jewelry and accessories
Inspired by our American-Turkish heritage, each piece is laden with stories of rich history, female empowerment and symbolism.
2) Sustainable metals and natural gemstones
We love our planet and only use high-quality, natural and sustainable materials.
3) Giving Back
We care deeply about supporting those in need and creating a positive impact in our community. A portion of all proceeds gives back to organizations for health, education, and overall wellness.
4) Women-owned business
Founded and owned by sisters Meyla Ruwin and Nevra Shapiro
