The CEO of this brand designs its creations in New York, and they are then handcrafted by the Yamato family in Japan.
The romantic-sounding Milamore is an homage to Milagros, the beloved grandmother of the brand’s CEO and creative director, George Root. It gracefully combines the Spanish for miracle and the Italian for love. Root, whose mother is from the Philippines and father from Japan, is a newcomer on the fine-jewelry scene, launching his brand in 2019. He designs his collections in New York, which are then handcrafted by the Yamato family in Japan, in a workshop at the foothills of Mount Fuji. The refined 18-karat gold pieces, featuring diamonds and gemstones, are inspired by Japanese ancestral crafts as well as the zodiac and spiritual values.
What attracted you to jewelry as a mode of creative expression?
Growing up, I naturally gravitated to sparkly things, and a common theme in the cartoons I’d watch [was] they’d fight over precious jewels. Once I grew up, I worked at a jewelry store as a sales associate, and I learned how to truly look at a stone and the powerful meanings behind them started to resonate to me.
How did your collaboration with the Yamato family start?
Originally, I was the creative consultant for their brand and I advised them to start selling gold hoops, as they were growing in popularity in Europe and the US. The gold hoops sold out right away and they asked for me to craft a brand and become their creative director.
What’s your first memory connected to jewelry and jewelry making?
My first memory connected to jewelry making was when I got married to my husband. I designed our marriage ring based on the engagement ring he gave me and it was such a meaningful process for me.
How is your jewelry celebrating your Japanese heritage?
Japanese heritage can be found in the philosophy and folklore that inspire our Kintsugi and Spirit Animal collections. Our Japanese craftsmanship and quality of jewelry is something that we are also adamant about celebrating. We’re not really known in the West for our production of jewelry, but each piece is handmade by Japanese artisans that have been doing this for generations. They are true experts that bring my vision to life, and I’m amazed each time.
Who do you have in mind when you design your collections?
I typically start with an idea, a color, or a stone that reminds me of my grandmother Milagros or mother Victoria. They’re my muses forever. I then modernize my initial ideas for someone who is looking for something personal, unique, and meaningful.
As a young jewelry brand, what are the main challenges you are facing?
As a young jewelry brand, we’re finding it slightly difficult to navigate in a world that is all about advertisers. We’ve been putting in the extra work to hopefully land our dream placements! We’re also finding it difficult meeting with buyers that are only looking to consign. Of course, we want to be included [by] some amazing retailers, but there’s not enough capital as a young brand to support some of our goals right now.
What are your favorite gemstones and diamond cuts to work with, and how do they fit into your aesthetics?
My all-time favorite stone combination is emeralds and diamonds. My favorite cuts to work with are baguette and marquise. The marquise cut is so beautiful because it’s a nice shape but it also ensures that the diamond isn’t too shiny. The same thing with the baguette cut, it’s super luxurious but not too boisterous. I’m all about the luxury that challenges the traditional idea of luxury.
What are you working on at the moment?
Right now, I’ve returned to Japan to really focus on designing new pieces for our Kintsugi and Duo Chain collections. For our new Kintsugi pieces, we’re really excited to be collaborating with a local Kintsugi artist who will perform Kintsugi on some stones for us. This is something so new for us from the process, the stones, and the collaboration, so we can’t wait to share it with the world soon.
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