My Story.
Who am I?
I’ve been anonymous for a while because I want to keep the focus on the jewellery, not myself. But I realised this might seem a tad shady to some people so: My name is Mason Mignanelli, I live in Newcastle, and I’ve been running Urban Sterling for the past 4 years. I founded the business in June 2020. When I’ve got time, my hobbies include classical guitar, MMA, lifting, and street photography.
The Story Behind Urban Sterling
You’ve heard “stories in silver” before, whether in my Instagram bio, in an ad, or on the website. But what’s the meaning behind it?
Back when I started Urban Sterling, I looked around at the landscape of the artisan silver jewellery industry and it felt impermeable. There were so many incredibly skilled and talented designers who I realistically had no chance of competing with.
I saw brands like Crooked Howlet, and their designs blew my tiny mind. I even emailed them asking how the heck they did it.
I saw the work of master engravers like Ray Hood, and subsequently spent 3 hours going down the hand engraving rabbit hole. I was 16 and I’d never made jewellery before. They were either established international brands or had white hair and had been fully certified jewellers since before I was born.
Why would I bother trying to crack this impossible industry?
Stories, of course.
Before starting Urban Sterling, my only exposure to jewellery had been family heirlooms or custom pieces. I’m Italian, so all the men in my family had gold chains with little pendants of saints, and signet rings with the family crest. The women had earrings they’d bought 30 years ago from an artisan in a little village somewhere in Italy.
After a long enough period of time, the jewellery seemed to take on the traits of the owner. As a kid I’d look at these shiny little objects and they’d feel like high-level items in a videogame that I hadn’t earned yet. When my grandfather died I inherited his pendant that he’d worn for over 40 years, and it felt like a real piece of him remained in it. I still never take it off.
These pieces always had an air of potent meaning to them. They felt like they were surrounded by history and full of stories. These rings and pendants and bracelets and earrings had earned their aura through years of adventures, victories and struggles.
It got me thinking: “What if I could do that, but in reverse?” Take a story, and make it into a ring.
To infuse the meaning directly into the piece, and leave some space for you to add your own over the years…
It was an exciting and inspiring idea. However, no plan survives first contact with reality, especially when I realised that I actually had no idea how to make decent jewellery.
My journey began awkwardly with a wax tube and clay carving tools bought on eBay. Those first attempts were laughable, but the process captivated me. I didn’t even know how to turn wax into metal and faced a steep learning curve filled with googling, naive questions to manufacturers, and a lot of trial and error. From engraving to oxidizing, each step was a discovery, each mistake a lesson.
Despite the initial setbacks, I crafted piece after piece, driven by the idea of jewellery not just as an adornment but as a medium for storytelling—each collection like a chapter in an ever-evolving narrative. The Celestial Chapter, for example draws from the cosmos and Greek mythology, while the Abyssal Chapter explores the deep cycles of life and death.
Urban Sterling isn’t about pumping out shiny accessories to be lost in a pub bathroom. It’s about crafting stories in silver that resonate deeply, that you’ll want to pass on to your grandkids. Stories that began perhaps clumsily, with a teenager at a desk, carving wax late into the night.
The brand has grown a lot since those early days, but the essence of what I do remains. Each ring, each pendant, each piece is a testament to the journey—not mine, but ours. For those who find resonance in what I create, remember, you’re not just buying jewellery; you’re carrying a tangible piece of your story with you.
If this speaks to you, explore the pieces, each with its own story waiting to become part of yours. And if you’re ready to begin this journey, enjoy an 11.11% discount with free shipping over $100 when you join the Inner Sanctum down below.
Thanks for being here.