Today we’d like to introduce you to Ansley Highland.
Hi Ansley, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Dora Mae really began with my grandmother, who the company is named after. She was a child of the Great Depression with only a third-grade education, but she was endlessly creative—a poet, a seamstress, and a pianist who played by ear. She taught me that beauty and meaning belong together, and that spirit is at the heart of everything I do.
After she passed away, I took a few of her old jewelry pieces and reimagined them into something I could wear—modern pieces that still carried her soul. When people saw them, they began sending me their own heirlooms with handwritten notes asking if I could do the same for them. Before long, I was getting ziplock bags full of family treasures in the mail. That’s how Dora Mae Jewelry was born—out of a desire to honor memory through design.
Today, my studio in Orlando has become a space where people can bring in their stories, whether through private redesign sessions or hands-on workshops. It’s not just about jewelry—it’s about transformation. When sentiment meets personal style, it creates something powerful: jewelry that tells your story and celebrates where you’ve been, while shining in who you are today.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a perfectly smooth road. Like many creative businesses, I had to figure things out as I went. When I first started, there wasn’t a blueprint for what I was doing—turning people’s heirlooms into modern pieces wasn’t exactly a traditional jewelry model. I had to learn how to balance the emotional side of the work with the practical side of running a business.
There’s also a deep responsibility that comes with handling someone’s memories. These aren’t just stones and metals—they’re stories tied to love, loss, and legacy. Early on, I felt the weight of that in a big way, but over time I’ve learned to see it as a privilege rather than pressure.
And of course, like any small business, there have been growing pains—managing demand, building a team, navigating the seasons where creativity and entrepreneurship collide. But every challenge has reinforced why I do this: to help people see beauty and possibility in what they already have, and in who they already are.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At Dora Mae Jewelry, we specialize in transforming heirlooms and vintage pieces into modern, wearable art. People come to us with their grandmother’s brooch, a broken necklace, or even a piece that carries complicated emotions—like a ring from a past chapter—and we help reimagine it into something that reflects who they are today.
I think what sets us apart is the heart behind the process. We’re not just redesigning jewelry; we’re preserving stories. Every piece we create carries sentiment, history, and personal style—it’s jewelry with soul. I often say that when sentiment meets design, it creates this incredible energy. You’re not just wearing something beautiful; you’re wearing meaning.
What I’m most proud of is how this work connects people—to their families, to their memories, and even to themselves. Whether it’s a daughter turning her mother’s pearls into something she’ll wear every day or a family gathering in our studio to honor a loved one, those moments remind me that we’re doing more than creating jewelry—we’re creating continuity, love, and legacy in tangible form.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is meaning. I’ve always believed that beauty without meaning doesn’t last—but when something carries a story, it becomes timeless. That belief came from my grandmother, Dora Mae. She could take the simplest thing—a handwritten poem at a dinner table, a scrap of fabric, an old brooch—and turn it into something special because it meant something.
That’s really the heart of everything I do. Whether I’m redesigning a family heirloom or leading a workshop, it’s about connection—helping people see the beauty in what they already have and the stories they already carry. When jewelry becomes a reflection of who you are and what you’ve lived, it’s no longer just an accessory. It’s a piece of your heart made visible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://doramaejewelry.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doramaejewelry/
Image Credits
Sadie Schrimsher Photography
@sessions_with_sadie on instagram
