I wanted to express my gratitude at the brand's 10th anniversary.

YusukeIt was a pleasant party. I felt very comfortable.

SadaI've been fortunate to receive so much support and help from so many people over the years, so I wanted to create an event to express my gratitude to them at this 10th anniversary milestone. I even wished I could have invited everyone who wears Enasoluna jewelry, not just our associates (laughs). I spent about a year preparing, including creating anniversary jewelry, brand visuals, an image movie, and composing music for it. But looking back, I can't recall anything specific that happened at the venue. I think my adrenaline was so high that day, it was a kind of psychological panic. It was a first for me.


YusukeThe exhibition showcasing Enasoluna's 10-year journey was wonderful. Learning that you attended jewelry design school, I was able to feel your passion for craftsmanship firsthand, which was truly impressive.

SadaThank you, I'm so glad to hear that. Sometimes people ask if I really make everything myself, and I do put a lot of effort into it (laughs). I don't just check the finished jewelry; I'm involved from the very beginning, from design to stone selection and material choices. It's a continuous process of trial and error, imagining the woman who will wear the jewelry, but it's an enjoyable one.

YusukeI think it's very important to be able to convey that at such milestones. When did your interest in jewelry begin?



SadaAs I was working as a model, I naturally loved fashion, and jewelry too. More than 10 years ago, power stone bracelets became a trend among models. They were like amulets, similar to friendship bracelets, but I found them a bit too much like prayer beads and not very cute.

YusukeThere was a time when everyone was wearing prayer beads. I remember thinking they lacked elegance.

SadaI wanted to create stylish amulets made of natural stones, and that's how I started. That was about 11 years ago.

YusukeAnd that led you to establish the brand?

SadaYes. I started with the simple idea of making cute alternatives to what I thought were unfashionable prayer beads, with no prior knowledge of jewelry. But I became completely captivated by its charm. Within a year, I had opened my own store.

YusukeBut it must have been difficult to get to this point. Is communication with the actual craftspeople smooth?

SadaOf course, in the beginning, there were many times when my nuances weren't understood even when I explained them, or when the results weren't what I envisioned. It was frustrating when communication didn't go well. However, I've met people who understand my vision and my feelings, and who can work together towards a common goal. I'm truly grateful for that.

YusukeSharing nuances is the most important and the most difficult part, isn't it? How can you convey things directly?

SadaThat's always a challenge. It's about shared understanding with the people who create with me. Since no one else can see the finished product I envision, it ultimately depends on my ability to communicate it. However, since perception can vary, I make an effort to clearly materialize my ideas by preparing numerous sketches and photographs.

YusukeJewelry truly changes its expression when it's displayed versus when it's actually worn, doesn't it? Considering the final wearer, what do you keep in mind when designing?

SadaI value the meaning of wearing it. For example, how it enhances the beauty of the face line and décolletage. That's crucial for women, isn't it? When it comes to size and dimensions, it's difficult because everyone's bone structure and body type are different. If I only rely on my own perspective, it might only suit me. So, I repeatedly create samples and make fine adjustments through various filters.

Page02.Jewelry that elevates a woman's grace into something sexy and sophisticated.

Jewelry that elevates a woman's grace into something sexy and sophisticated.

YusukeAs this is your 10th anniversary, I understand you've created some special new pieces.

SadaSince it's the 10th anniversary, I made 10 pieces. I'm particularly proud of the pendants that express must-have items for women using natural stones. They can be added to existing necklaces, and I love them just for looking at them because they're so cute.



YusukeWhen do design ideas come to you?

SadaWell, for this collection, I felt a strong obligation to create 10 pieces, so it was partly a matter of forcing them out (laughs). But I hope this will be the culmination of these 10 years. In the early days of the brand, I purely pursued what I wanted to do and what was interesting, so many of the pieces were not practical for everyday wear. However, as the brand has grown, I've started to consider the wearer more, not just my own design preferences.

YusukeWhich of the pieces you created this time was the most challenging?

SadaThis kumiko-zaiku piece. I remade it 21 times. The inspiration came from fusuma (sliding doors). I saw them at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto in Higashiyama, Kyoto, and thought they were beautiful. There are various patterns, and they're lovely. I'm still not entirely satisfied with this one, though... It's difficult because it's handmade. Setting stones on a curved surface can cause distortion, so it requires incredible skill.



YusukeJapanese motifs are wonderful.

SadaI think they would pair well with the kumiko-zaiku series. With a dress that has an open décolletage, layering necklaces would also look lovely.

YusukeThey seem like they'd photograph well. I think they're very cool.

SadaThank you. My motto is to create pieces that can be worn simply and casually, yet elegantly enhance the face and neckline, making the wearer look feminine.

YusukeWhat do you consider femininity to be?

SadaPerhaps suppleness. It's a unique aura that women possess. I want to use jewelry to elevate that inherent feminine grace into something sexy and sophisticated. Even with babies, boys are sturdy, while girls are supple and delicate.

YusukeThat's probably what we call feminine. What is this?





SadaAll in Japan. Japanese craftspeople are truly meticulous.

YusukeThis ring is lovely.




SadaThere's a competition called the WorldSkills Competition, held every two years, where craftspeople from around the world gather to compete in their respective fields after qualifying in their home countries. It's like the Olympics for artisans, covering areas like hairdressing and cooking. In 1999, I had the chance to meet Takaharu Hirotsumi, who won the gold medal in the jewelry category at the competition held in Montreal, Canada, becoming the first Japanese person to do so. This diamond ring was made by him at my request.

YusukeWas he at the party?

SadaUnfortunately, he's the type who dislikes parties, as is typical of many artisans, so he couldn't attend. But his work is extraordinary. It's a niche world, but it's incredibly delicate and beautiful.

YusukeI'd love to meet him. The intricacy of this ring is astonishing. It's clear how much effort went into it.

SadaI love it too. If a world-renowned jewelry maker produced the same piece, it couldn't be offered at the same price. However, I'm not yet confident that I've become the kind of woman worthy of this ring.

YusukeJewelry has an age appropriateness, doesn't it?

SadaExactly. Just like a Hermès Kelly bag doesn't quite suit a teenage girl or a woman in her twenties, making it look almost like a fake.

Page02.I want Enasoluna's jewelry to stand on its own.

I want Enasoluna's jewelry to stand on its own.

YusukeI agree. Do you enjoy the process of creating jewelry and coming up with ideas?

SadaI enjoy it immensely. I love brainstorming ideas with the staff who create the pieces, and I also love seeing the finished products. It's exciting.

YusukeWhere does your inspiration come from?

SadaI draw hints from all sorts of places in daily life, such as movies, photographs, and furniture. Most importantly, I consider whether I would buy it myself if I saw it in a store or if I would genuinely want it. I also determine the price of the jewelry, aiming to offer value beyond the price point while keeping it accessible.




YusukeHas anything changed in the past 10 years?

SadaIn the early days, I think I focused a lot on free ideas and combinations. In the jewelry industry, my ideas were often considered too reckless, met with surprise or outright rejection from craftspeople. Despite that, I insisted on things like embedding diamonds in resin. They told me diamonds need to be set to sparkle and that enclosing them in resin would cloud their brilliance, making it a waste. But I simply wanted to tell the story of diamonds inside resin. Those kinds of ideas have faded over the past 10 years.

YusukePerhaps those things were possible precisely because you didn't know any better.



SadaFemininity has always been the consistent theme since the beginning.

YusukeDo you have a favorite stone?

SadaI am captivated by diamonds, of course. But they are also stones that require careful handling. It's as if they absorb your soul; when I touch or look at diamonds, I feel drained, becoming listless and not wanting to talk to anyone.

YusukeI've heard that before. Stones are said to have such backgrounds, and diamonds seem particularly potent.

SadaIt's fine when I'm wearing rings or similar items normally, but looking at a large quantity of diamonds can inexplicably exhaust me. It seems like stones attract good things when I'm feeling well, and bad things when I'm not. I sometimes refrain from wearing them if I'm not feeling quite myself.

YusukeThere are also stories about cursed diamonds, aren't there?

SadaDiamonds are frightening, yet they possess a mysterious charm that is also healing. Not just diamonds, but all stones have various effects and properties. Come to think of it, we used to have a line called "Doctor Enasoluna," where customers could freely combine charms and natural stones to create jewelry tailored to their wishes.



YusukeThat's an interesting idea. It sounds like it would make a great gift, too.

SadaUnfortunately, it's no longer available, but it's fun to change stones and jewelry according to how you feel each day.

YusukePlease tell me about your future goals.

SadaWith the 10th anniversary as a milestone, I want to shed the image of Enasoluna being solely associated with Mayumi Sada and let the jewelry stand on its own. I want to shift our approach to focus on the product itself – making people think 'that's stylish' or 'that's cute' – and present a new image. From there, they can discover, 'Oh, Mayumi Sada made this.' I want to thoroughly change the perception so that the product comes first. I directed this season's catalog myself, and this time I also directed and composed music for a two-minute film. It's a movie with a perfect length, reminiscent of the short songs from early Beatles, making you want to listen again. I'm very pleased with it.



YusukeThat's wonderful. This is actually my first time speaking with you, so I was a bit nervous, but this has been a very rewarding time.

SadaI enjoyed it too. Thank you for today.

YusukeI look forward to the future of Enasoluna. Thank you very much.

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