The Story That Became GUZEMA

Valeriya Guzema and Mariana Lenha speak about the beginning of the brand and its new chapter in New York.

GUZEMA Fine Jewelry was founded in Kyiv in 2016 by Valeriya Guzema, who began making the jewelry she could not find for herself. Her idea took shape in handcrafted pieces set with natural diamonds. What began as a search for form and self-expression grew into one of Ukraine’s most recognizable fine jewelry brands.

Now, as GUZEMA opens its first New York boutique in SoHo, Valeriya and Mariana Lenha, her longtime friend and CEO of GUZEMA, look back at the story behind this new chapter. It began long before the boutique, and even before the brand itself.

You knew each other long before GUZEMA Fine Jewelry was founded. How did you first meet?

Mariana: We met in Kyiv at university. We have been friends for seventeen years now.

I think it was a very organic friendship. For years, we lived in different countries and built very different lives, but we always stayed close. I moved to Canada, Valeriya was in Ukraine, and somehow we kept finding time for each other. We visited, talked through difficult moments, and remained part of each other’s lives. I never really believed in long-distance friendship, but with Valeriya it worked.

So you met very early, when so much was still ahead of both of you. Valeriya, what eventually led you to make jewelry yourself?

Valeriya: Before GUZEMA, I worked in fashion. I wanted pieces that felt simple, but not ordinary. Pieces with character. Something I could wear every day and still feel special in. At some point, I stopped looking and started making them.

That was how GUZEMA began. It was very personal at first. I was not trying to create a big brand from the first day. I was making something I felt was missing.

Do you remember the first GUZEMA pieces?

Valeriya: The first pieces were very different from what GUZEMA is today, but the feeling was already there. I was learning through the process, through sketches, conversations with jewelers, and mistakes. 

My mother helped me at the very beginning. She gave me gold she had gathered over many years: broken necklaces, bracelets, earrings kept in the family, even my grandfather’s gold tooth crown. From that gold, we made some of the first rings.

Mariana: A few of those first rings were lost later. I remember Valeriya thinking that maybe it was a sign she should not continue. But I am glad she kept going. When I look at GUZEMA now, I can really see how much the brand has transformed.

Valeriya: Mariana was not part of the company then, but she was already very close to it. I do not remember seeing her wear any other jewelry after she started wearing GUZEMA. She would tell me with such delight how people stopped her to ask about her earrings and rings. That still touches me.

How has the process changed since then?

Valeriya: Today, an idea is only the beginning. A new piece may be worn and tested for months while we refine its proportions, movement, comfort, and construction.

This is especially important for our transformable designs. Some necklaces can change in length, earrings take on a different shape, and rings or bracelets adjust in size. The construction has to feel intuitive, move smoothly, and remain secure through everyday wear.

Mariana: What I admire is how far Valeriya is willing to take even the smallest detail. The GUZEMA signature earring back, for example, was refined over two years to improve its ergonomics, hold, and ease of use.

Most people first notice the design, the gold, or the diamonds. Valeriya also thinks about the part no one sees but the wearer feels every time.

Valeriya: The same care extends to the materials we choose. GUZEMA pieces are handcrafted in 18k gold and set with responsibly sourced, GIA-certified natural diamonds.

Mariana, you had been close to GUZEMA for years, but your own career was in a very different field. What made you change direction?

Mariana: I spent more than a decade in finance in Canada, starting in banking and later moving into financial planning for ultra-high-net-worth clients. I had reached a strong place in my career, but I was beginning to think about building something of my own.

Around that time, Valeriya and I started talking about GUZEMA’s future beyond Ukraine. As the war changed life and business in Ukraine, I felt even more strongly that Ukrainian design and craftsmanship deserved to be seen internationally. 

We considered Canada and Los Angeles, but New York felt right very quickly. It is probably the most difficult place to begin, but GUZEMA is a brave brand.

Valeriya, what made this partnership feel right to you?

Valeriya: I had no doubts. We knew each other well and had been there for each other for years.

I knew Mariana would bring a different strength to GUZEMA. She had built a serious career, understood people and business, and was ready for a new chapter. A few conversations were enough to know it was the right step. Then she moved to New York.

How would you describe what each of you brings to GUZEMA?

Mariana: Valeriya is the creative soul of the brand. I bring the business side. What I admire is the way she sees jewelry before anyone else does. She will describe a shape she imagines around the neck and say it will become popular. Two years later, that exact idea is everywhere. We are not chasing trends or hype. We are building something with meaning. But her instinct for what is coming is remarkable.

My part is the company itself. I love building the team and growing the brand here. I want the people who work with us to enjoy the journey, not only the moment we reach a goal.

Valeriya, in Ukraine, you are closely involved in everything at GUZEMA. What has it been like to let this chapter grow in Mariana’s hands?

Valeriya: I have not reached that stage in my own life yet, but I imagine it is like watching your child leave for school on another continent. You have to let go of control and allow them to grow. I see how the brand keeps developing in Mariana’s hands, how it becomes more itself. She is a professional of the highest level, and she is my closest friend. I would trust her not only with the business but with my children.

Before the boutique, GUZEMA was already meeting people in New York through pop-ups, events, and collaborations. What did those moments mean for the brand?

Valeriya: The first New York pop-up changed both of our lives in some way. It opened a new stage for us. It felt like a continuation of GUZEMA in a completely new place.

Mariana: Since then, we have kept creating ways for people to meet the brand in person. We have held pop-ups across Europe, Canada, and the United States, taken part in fashion weeks and cultural projects such as Emily in Paris, and collaborated with local businesses and artists.

Charity has also remained part of the GUZEMA story, from the GUZEMA Charity Collection and readings with Katheryn Winnick to an Earth Day initiative supporting One Tree Planted.

Valeriya: In Ukraine, GUZEMA has always been close to culture and to real life. Community has always mattered to us.

For us, fine jewelry belongs close to the person who wears it. It can be precious and still be part of everyday life. These events and collaborations matter to us because they are about more than jewelry. They are about building community.

And now, SoHo. What does this opening mean to each of you?

Valeriya: It is one of my dreams coming true, without exaggeration. We are opening our doors in SoHo, on the same street as some of the most established names in fashion. For us, it is both a real challenge and a fantastic opportunity.

Mariana: It is a milestone. We are celebrating ten years of GUZEMA, and this boutique shows how far the brand has come and how much further we want to go. It also represents an enormous amount of work. We signed the lease almost exactly a year ago, and now we are opening our doors. There were permits, renovations, and all the parts no one sees, but we still found ways to enjoy the process. The story of this boutique is a beautiful one, and there is so much more ahead.

Explore GUZEMA Jewelry or visit GUZEMA in SoHo.