Christina Tan is a Boston-based jewelry designer on a constant search for projects that further her design skills and add to her style. I had a great conversation with Christina at North End’s Thinking Cup, but only after listening to our recorded interview did I realize how much she had expanded my vocabulary. Read the highlights below to immerse yourself in the world of boho, round nose pliers, epoxy techniques, and jewelry manipulation.

How did you first get interested in designing jewelry?

Towards the end of senior year of college, I got a PR Internship for jewelry designer Tina Tang who owned a boutique in New York's Greenwich Village. The office space was very small and I'd be sitting at the computer writing blog posts and contacting magazine editors, and Tina would sit right next to me, designing and making jewelry. That piqued my interest.

After graduation I moved back home, to Boston. I had gotten a marketing internship at a textile design company but after a while, l felt that my heart wasn't in it. I left to pursue something that would make me happy. I ended up working for Talia Don, a jewelry designer in Newton. I was just manipulating; I wasn't designing but it was a stepping stone to something greater.

What is manipulating?

Manipulating is when you use your hands and various tools to shape wire to loop beads and jewelry findings. Tools can vary from round nose pliers, ball peen hammers, ring mandrals and MM gauges.

                  Christina's jewelry tools

I know you had a gig as a production manager in New York. How is that different from jewelry design?

The big difference is that you aren't designing. My job was to coordinate production between the vendors in the Diamond District. I ordered castings, findings, and hand selected gemstones and diamonds. When you're working with thousands of dollars worth of gold and gemstones and you have to turn pieces around in two days; it became a constant hustle.

There is a diamond district in New York?

Yeah! It's on Sixth Avenue, near Radio City Music Hall. It's one whole block of jewelry buildings in contrast to Boston where it's just one building. There were times I would get nervous because I carried $100,000 worth of raw gold castings and diamonds.

So you left New York for Boston. How did your career evolve here?

We don't really have a great jewelry industry in Boston. There are fashion and home goods companies, but they are e-commerce based.

The original jewelry district is actually in Providence, Rhode Island. Back when the economy was booming and nothing got produced in China, Providence was a mecca for jewelry manufacturing. And it's where I work now as a jewelry designer at Fashion Accessories First. I design costume jewelry for national retail brands.

We have a warehouse filled with hundreds of boxes of costume jewelry that we can take apart and create new designs. We design for a bunch of retail stores - Target, Wal-Mart, Claire's, DSW, Forever 21, and Charming Charlie. Every month, we have a trend analyst meeting which helps the designers think ahead.

How do analysts determine the new trends?

Luxury designers set the trends and they look to Asia and Europe for the next big thing. What crazy things are haute couture designers doing with their clothes and accessories? What fabrics are they using? Are they using a new medium to create specific designs? What story are they telling? Our job is to translate that for the everyday consumer. It's a whole other world out there!

                                                                    Jewely designs by Christina Tan

Where do you get inspiration from?

I am on Pinterest all day. That is part of our job - to go shopping and be on Pinterest, and look at fashion websites. lf I am designing something boho, I will look at Free People or Anthropologie or if I am designing something missy, I look to Ann Taylor Loft and Banana Republic.

That is part of our job - to go shopping and be on Pinterest, and look at fashion websites.

What are some of your favorite sites to look at?

At work we get this newsletter, WWD where we get to look at the latest news and trends from the fashion industry. They cover runway shows and how the industry is doing. For example, they announced the upcoming new designer for Gucci and how Gap, Inc. is shutting down their e-commerce website, Piperlime. Anthropologie is also one of my favorite stores and a real source of inspiration, mostly for my own designs.

Going shopping is a part of your job. What is that like?

It's pretty amazing and a great way to get out of the office! When I go to the mall, I don't just look at jewelry, I look at clothes, shoes, knick knacks, home goods, everything. I like to see what buyers are buying outside of jewelry and if there is something interesting, can we translate it into something wearable?

You mentioned clothing and knick knacks. What else influences your jewelry design?

People's personal style. If I see someone with really great style, sometimes I see how a piece of jewelry can fit into their outfit. We also use a lot of mixed materials. We don't just work with metal, plastic and glass. We try to use cork, leather, ribbon, cording.

Seems like you deal quite a bit with the psychology of design.

You really have to get in the mind of the consumer. Sometimes I would go into a store and look around at what people are buying. I am listening in, seeing what excites them, and sticking around until I find out if they are willing to buy.

Right now, chokers and short small statement necklaces are in and we are currently developing styles that hopefully will make it in the stores next year. Another one of our biggest challenges is to create designs that are salable yet fashion forward enough for someone to buy it.

Who do you look up to and who pushes you to do more and become better?

My former boss, Marisol. She is truly the most talented and creative person I have ever met and I feel so honored to have worked closely with her, even if it was for a short amount of time. She hired me and saw something in me that I didn't know I had. She's been designing and creating since she was a little girl and it's who she is, who she will always be. Her words and guidance have left a lasting impression on me.

If you had an entrance song, what would it be?

I go through phases of music. Right now I am really into "Daylight" by Kenna.

What do you think is a problem that we are a society should tackle next?

The effects that media and technology have on our everyday lives. Sometimes I have to shut my phone off. I have this rule where I try not to be in front of a screen at night. Instead, I read a book. It's not always the case but when I do, I sleep right through the night.