a b o u t

Hi. I'm Sheva, owner and designer of West Native. A little about me... 

I started making jewelry in college as a hobby after finding a jar labeled "craft junk" at an antique store in Cambria, CA. That jar would become my most valuable vintage score to date. It unlocked a passion I never knew existed and would ultimately change the course of my life. It was sealed with duct tape but I could see bits of discarded charms and chain peeking through and the mystery of what was inside thrilled me. Upon returning home, I borrowed my boyfriend's tools and got to work reassembling the contents of the jar into jewelry that I proudly wore to my Sociology classes and afterschool waitressing gig. I was addicted- making jewelry into the wee hours of the night, neglecting schoolwork, social engagements, etc to make my little refurbished baubles. When friends and family would ask what I planned to do after college, I would say I was going to be a jewelry designer, not really knowing what that meant.

Somehow, it all worked out. Instead of going to grad school or getting a job in my field of study, I moved to LA and started working for various jewelry brands doing anything they allowed me to at first- from packing orders to organizing beads. Eventually, I moved into design and experienced the thrill of seeing my work in stores across the country, but always under another brand's name.

I continued to make my reworked vintage pieces in my free time, hunting for materials on ebay and taking jewelry-making classes on the weekends. It wasn't until 2017, after 10 years of working for other brands that I began to take my side-hustle seriously by officially launching West Native.

I wanted to put something out into the world that was a true and uncompromised reflection of my own perspective and experiences. Inspiration for West Native is drawn equally from my Iranian heritage and my Los Angeles roots. The push and pull of East and West has been a consistent theme throughout my life, creatively and otherwise. My designs seek to find balance between these two identities.