Two commissions, two completely different starting points. One began with a sold-out pair of earrings. The other began with a TV show.

A pair she loved that was already gone

Tricia's first commission started with a simple message: "Can you make the Lesiba long earrings again? I'd love a pair."

The original Lesiba earrings had already sold. They were one of a kind, gold-filled tiered drop earrings with gemstone flower clusters and long faceted stone drops, designed to move and catch light with every turn. Tricia had seen them, loved them, and missed them.

"No rush," she wrote. "Just love the last ones you made. You have great vision."

I got started and had them ready to ship within a week. Same design language, same spirit, new pair. Because while the specific stones and wirework in the original Lesiba earrings belonged to someone else now, the techniques and vision behind them are mine. That's what makes a recreation possible without it ever being a copy.

When the inspiration comes from a screen

If you've ever paused a movie or rewound a scene because you couldn't stop looking at a piece of jewelry, you're not alone. It's one of the most common commission requests I get: "I saw this necklace on a show. Can you make it?"

That's exactly how Tricia's second commission started. She sent me a reference image of a delicate diamond necklace made famous by a beloved TV character in the early 2000s, a simple row of sparkling stones on a fine chain that sits just at the collarbone. It's the kind of piece that looks effortless on screen but is nearly impossible to find in stores because the original was a prop, not a production piece.

"Can you make that?" she asked.

Yes. This is what I do.

The original used diamonds. For Tricia's version, I researched gemstone alternatives that would capture the same look, faceted stones with serious sparkle on a clean, minimal chain, and gave her two options: white topaz or Herkimer diamonds. She chose white topaz.

I sourced high-quality faceted white topaz rondelles from a supplier in the UK. When they arrived, I strung them onto a sterling silver chain with an extender that lets her wear it at various lengths, from a close 16-inch choker to a relaxed 20-inch drop. The finished piece captures exactly what made the screen version so iconic: understated sparkle that catches light without competing for attention.

"It's paid for," she texted after checkout. "Just wondering the length. I like 16 to 17 inches."

That's the kind of detail that matters. The extender chain I'd already included gave her exactly the flexibility she needed. Shipped FedEx, signature required, delivered in three days.

Two ways a commission can start

Tricia's story shows that a commission doesn't need a grand plan or a handwritten list. Sometimes it starts with a piece you loved that sold before you got to it. Sometimes it starts with a scene you can't stop replaying.

I get both requests regularly. A client sees a pair of earrings on my site that's already gone. A friend spots a bracelet in a magazine editorial. Someone pauses a period drama and screenshots a brooch. The starting point doesn't matter. What matters is whether a designer can look at the reference and translate it into something real, wearable, and genuinely yours, not a replica, not a knockoff, but an original piece built from the same inspiration.

That's the conversation. And it starts with a single message.

Both are valid. Both lead to the same place: a conversation, a plan, and a piece that's yours.

The pieces: Lesiba-inspired gold-filled tiered drop earrings, white topaz "Carrie" necklace on sterling silver chain.

The materials: White topaz, gold-filled, sterling silver.

The timeline: Two separate commissions, each completed within weeks.

Every piece Andrea Li makes is one of a kind. Whether you're looking to recreate something that sold before you could get to it, or you've seen something that inspired an idea you can't shake,start a conversation.