What “Adina” means, and why we kept it.

Adina is a given name with roots in Hebrew, where it's generally translated as “gentle” or “delicate.” Versions of the name also appear across Slavic and Romanian naming traditions, and it has been used as a first name in English-speaking countries for generations.

When we were naming this label, we weren't looking for an invented word or a founder's surname. We wanted something that already meant the thing we were trying to make: jewellery that's gentle rather than loud, delicate rather than decorative for its own sake.

That's the whole brief, really. Every piece in the collection is judged against that one word. If it feels heavy, showy, or like it needs an occasion to justify wearing it, it doesn't become a Adina piece.

We liked that the name belongs to people, too — it's common enough that it isn't a private joke, and personal enough that it doesn't feel manufactured. A name with a meaning worth living up to seemed like a reasonable place to start a small jewellery label.