Photos: Chris Emeott
Jewelry designer creates intriguing boho designs with global elements.
Amy Moechnig knows there is nothing more fun than a new piece of jewelry. As a jewelry designer, she tries to up the ante for the wearer— creating pieces that are not only eye-catching, but ones that also come with a story. “Everything has a story,” she says. “It adds to the uniqueness of a piece.”
Each of Moechnig’s pieces have at least one element guaranteed to start a conversation—a silver lock from Spain, vinyl beads from Ghana, Burmese coins, a piece of buffalo horn, an Afghan bell and more. The Wayzata resident’s collection is a treasure trove of interesting, one-of-a-kind, bohemian-styled pieces that mirror her interesting, one-of-a-kind, bohemian-styled life.
“I named the company Seven Stone Jewelry after my seven kids,” Moechnig says, explaining that she has three children from a previous relationship, her husband has two children from a previous relationship and they had a set of twins after they were married. It was the arrival of the youngest children that put Moechnig on the path to jewelry design. After years of working corporate jobs, she stayed home with her twins and found herself getting restless. “I was still looking for jobs,” she says.
Her husband, Doug Moechnig, gently suggested that Moechnig take up a hobby to help balance her days. She mulled over his suggestion, remembering that she used to take jewelry classes at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts. The idea took hold, and she started collecting beads and pendants from around the world, quickly amassing a small jewelry arsenal. Before she knew it, Moechnig’s new hobby was taking over their Wayzata home, and her husband had changed his tune a bit. “He was saying, ‘You’ve got to start selling these,’” she says. With a background in marketing, selling was something Moechnig could do. She began hitting up as many art fairs as possible. “I was doing art fairs every weekend,” she says.
After a time, Moechnig found traversing the state, setting up and tearing down booths had become exhausting. She now focuses on art shows that are easy in, easy out. Moechnig says her favorites include the Wayzata Art Fair (June), Art in the Garden at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (August) and the Edina Fall into the Arts Festival (September).
In 2020, Moechnig bought Body Glow Sun and Spray tanning salon in Long Lake. Not only did it give her a good excuse to get out of the house amid a pandemic, but it also provided the perfect venue to showcase her creations.
Among Moechnig’s collection are chunky bracelets, delicate beaded chokers, sparkly stone stud earrings and statement necklaces. “I made what I like,” she says. Unlike many jewelry designers, Moechnig doesn’t go into her work with a plan. “I put everything in front of me and just start making stuff,” she says. “I try to put together color combinations that go with outfits … pops of color. I’m always thinking of something to wear it with.”
Moechnig’s designs are perfect for layering with necklaces of varying lengths and bracelets for wrists of any size. “These are pieces you can wear every day,” she says, noting that everything is made from real stones or beads, so the wearer can leave it on when they sleep or shower, and it won’t turn green. “I want people to wear it,” she says.
Seven Stone Jewelry
2073 Wayzata Blvd. Suite 1,000, Long Lake; 952.473.4569
Facebook: Seven Stone Jewelry
Instagram: @sevenstonejewelry
