Living Life to the Full: Hera Arkarakas

Hera Arkarakas: Thank you. Hera was the queen of the gods so it’s always been a fun name to have. In life and in my work, I feel very empowered and try to live each to the fullest. My mantra “Live Life” is also my tag line. Life is short; we should strive for happiness every single day.

In terms of my designs, I have always been mesmerized by the beauty of the peacock so I’ve incorporated my signature peacock motif into every Hera piece. The peacock is a symbol of immortality and happened to be sacred to the goddess Hera, so in some ways, my collection almost seems predetermined.

Who is your line aimed at? Who is the woman you see wearing your collections? Is there a Hera woman?

Yes there is a Hera woman! My goal is for women to feel empowered and not be afraid of the jewelry self-purchase. Isn’t it ridiculous that some women have no trouble spending $1,200 on a bag but when it comes to jewelry, they wait for a man to buy it for them?! The Hera collection was created to break that barrier. My pieces are bold and edgy and purposely accessible with retail prices ranging from $200-2,000.

The Hera woman is confident and lives life on her own terms. I envision my jewelry to be stacked and layered against little black dresses, plunging necklines, tousled hair and fire engine-red lips.

I know you have a family history of design and jewelry crafting. Can you speak about how that propelled your career? Does your heritage play a big part in your design?

I was born in Istanbul, Turkey to parents of Armenian descent, and raised in Canada’s jewelry industry. My father was a master craftsman who dedicated long hours to the jewelry bench often creating one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces.

I spent most of my free time watching my father as he carefully constructed each piece, sourced gemstones and paired them with ornate settings. I started working at the retail counter and learned the business side of the industry; by 18 I was already remodeling and redesigning clients’ jewelry by request.

What was your jewelry design journey?

My journey started from a very young age, I started working in the jewelry industry at the age of 16 in the retail business and realized I loved designing and creating jewelry. I started designing custom pieces for clients and enrolled in jewelry design courses to further my knowledge in design. I designed many years for my husband’s jewelry company in high end fine jewelry. Two years ago I launched the Hera collection. My journey as a jewelry designer has been very exciting; the ability to create beautiful pieces and put smiles on womens faces is truly rewarding.

Was it a conscious choice to design in sterling silver? Once prices of precious metals – hopefully – stop shooting upwards, will you be using more gold/platinum or is silver the key to the collections?

I chose to work with sterling because I wanted to make the line accessible. From a design perspective, I love the look of white metals as well dark, gunmetal. I currently use hints of 18 karat yellow and rose gold as well as diamond and spinel accents. Because I want to help women conquer their fear of the self-purchase, I foresee silver being my main medium for the time being.

I love your layered look. How do you decide what pieces to pair together? Is there such a thing as too much layering?

The collection has been designed with the intention of pieces being layered, most pieces are interchangeable and are able to be worn together, I love combining different colors of metal for example silver mixed with yellow or pink gold. Layering gives the clients the ability to accessorize their wardrobes with an individual unique look from simple elegance to bold dramatic.

What do you mean that your jewelry is “meant to be worn”? Surely that’s the point of all jewlery – huge, expensive pieces aside.

You would be surprised how many women have told me that they are afraid to wear real jewelry! Their pieces live in safety deposit boxes and are only worn on special occasions because they feel too “fancy” for every day. So wearability was a part of the design process. I wanted to make sure Hera pieces could be paired with virtually any look and transition seamlessly from day to night. Also the affordable prices help alleviate the fear of wearing something that is too expensive.

How has the line been received in the U.S.?

We have received a very warm welcome in the U.S. market and we’re so moved by the excitement that retailers and consumers have shown after being introduced to the collection.

What does the future hold for you? Where would you like to take Hera?

I have so many design ideas so the collections will keep evolving. In the future I would love to have a Hera men's jewelry collection and design accessories for women. The sky is the limit!