Paulina Gardavská and the Feminine Soul of By Paulina Jewelry

Our next Business Muse for MAGPAPER is jewelry artist and founder of BY PAULINA jewelry, Paulina Gardavská – a radiant and grounded woman whose story blends creation, courage and conscious entrepreneurship.

It all started with a bracelet made of minerals. Created for joy, for herself. When a friend noticed it and suggested Paulina make more and display them in her salon, neither of them knew this small gesture would spark a journey that would rewrite her life story. The bracelets sold out within a few days – and Paulina allowed herself a thought: what if I started my own jewelry brand? Today Paulina creates more than beauty. Her pieces are talismans. Instruments of silence, touch, and presence. Each one is crafted with love, intention, and meticulous attention to detail – never mass-produced, never disconnected from the person who will wear it. "The resulting piece becomes an imprint of the client's soul – their everyday talisman."

Paulina creates in the rhythm of life – not in the rhythm of fashion seasons, but in tune with her own cycles, her family, and feminine energy. After ten years, she left her prestigious job on Pařížská Street and took a leap of faith into uncertainty. Into a business that grows from the heart. “I decided to leave my job after 10 years and take the risk. To fully dedicate myself to building by Paulina jewelry, and of course, to my family.”

Motherhood offered her a new perspective – it taught her to be more patient, more aware, more present. It taught her to let go of the pressure to constantly perform and to replace it with trust in the process. “Motherhood definitely gave me the ability to see things in a wider context. I realized that the greatest growth often comes in silence and stillness.” That’s why today, by Paulina jewelry is not just a brand. It's a space. A space where design, intuition, astrology, feminine power, and personal stories meet. “In business, I place emphasis on values and qualities traditionally associated with the feminine principle – intuition, empathy, collaboration, care, cyclicality, and creativity.” And above all – authenticity. “It showed me that the greatest responsibility is to remain true to myself – and that when a brand is created from this place, it has the power to truly resonate.”

By Paulina is more than a brand – it’s a space where intuition, design and soul meet

From the start, BY PAULINA has been a brand with soul – connecting design, intuition, astrology, and feminine energy. What is essential to your creative process?
The foundation of my work is always tuning into a specific client, their vision and wishes for what the piece should look like. I only create pieces after receiving an order to ensure every detail is crafted to the client’s full satisfaction. I don’t hold inventory – even online orders are customized based on the client’s requests. I pour a piece of myself into each item, crafting with love, precision, and focus on every detail. The final piece becomes an imprint of the client's soul – their daily talisman.

Your brand was born in a home studio, surrounded by motherhood, family, and everyday life. How do you perceive feminine energy as a driving force in business?
My family inspires and motivates me every day to create with love, care, balance, and perspective. In business, I emphasize values and qualities traditionally associated with feminine energy – intuition, empathy, collaboration, care, cyclicality, and creativity. These are the pillars of my brand by Paulina jewelry isn’t built on performance and competition (typically masculine energy) but on balance, authenticity, and meaningfulness. It’s not just about profit – it’s about sharing value, passing on beauty, and healing through creation.

What inspires you most when working with women as clients? And what moments move you emotionally in your work?
I love creating for women. My clients give me incredible amounts of energy, trust, and inspiration for future creations. Our ability to listen to intuition, embrace change, and notice details is profoundly inspiring. Women often sense what is “right,” even before they can explain it logically. That subtle strength combined with the courage to follow one’s path is deeply powerful. And what moves me? When, in the design process, I realize how deeply connected the work is to their story – and mine. To femininity, love, loss, dreams, and transformation. I’m touched by the truth and vulnerability when a woman allows herself to be seen as she truly is – without masks or expectations.

“Every piece of jewelry carries energy, and when chosen consciously, it becomes part of the role I need to embody.” By Paulina

Do you have a piece that was created almost by accident – and became a beloved bestseller?
I often co-create with my clients – bespoke jewelry made together. Their ideas sometimes amaze me, and once combined with my design, the result is a truly original piece. Several of these pieces became very popular after being introduced on social media and eventually turned into bestsellers on our e-shop – like the Unity necklace, Personalized necklace, or Trio silk knot.

What makes a piece of jewelry truly personal? Is it the gesture, the symbol, the story – or the process itself?
A truly personal piece is the result of all of these. What matters most is that something remains “imprinted” in it. A piece becomes personal when it holds an intention. It might be a gesture – given in love. A symbol – a reminder of something important. A story – tied to an event, an emotion, or a memory. A process – when the jewelry is crafted mindfully, like a handwritten letter, capturing the presence of the maker. The most personal pieces are those where the form and content are inseparable – where beauty, meaning, and the journey of creation are all one.

You engrave words that are meant to stay close – to the heart, to the soul. What do you see as the power of personalized jewelry?
The strength of a personalized piece lies in its deep uniqueness and connection to a specific person, moment, or intention. It’s not just an ornament – it’s a keeper of memories, emotions, identity. Personalized jewelry isn’t just “pretty” – it’s a living object with a soul and a story.

When did you realize that BY PAULINA was no longer just a creative project, but a brand with real potential?
It was during the time I still worked for a luxury fashion brand on Parizska Street in Prague. During COVID, by Paulina jewelry really took off, and at one point, I realized I was exhausted. I couldn’t manage everything – a full-time job, running a business, and caring for my family. That’s when I decided to leave my job after ten years and take the risk – to fully focus on developing by Paulina jewelry and, of course, to be present with my family. Today, I can say with a calm heart – it was the right choice. A wise decision. It paid off. Female intuition is a remarkable gift!

"Motherhood taught me to slow down. To listen to myself. And to create from stillness, not pressure." By Paulina

What does your ideal creative day look like? Do you need a ritual, silence, music...?
I’m truly grateful when I get a good night’s sleep :) Then I wake up full of energy and ready to create. I love working in peace and quiet, with a sunny day and a cup of coffee. That’s when magic happens in my hands.

What has motherhood brought to your leadership style? And what has it taught you to let go of?
Motherhood has definitely given me the ability to see the bigger picture, to be more patient and more present. It taught me to accept that not everything can be controlled – that sometimes the greatest growth happens in stillness. You stop chasing performance at all costs and start listening more closely to yourself, your body, your energy, your time. You learn to separate what matters from what doesn’t, to listen to intuition, to simplify, to create from the heart.
And perhaps most of all – it taught me authenticity. In motherhood, you meet your vulnerability and your strength so fully that you stop playing games. And that’s exactly what I bring into by Paulina jewelry. And what did it teach me to let go of? The expectation that everything will go according to plan. Motherhood is alive, ever-changing, and unpredictable – just like business. It teaches you to trust the process, to slow down, to rest even when things feel unfinished. To release the pressure to have it all done – and instead, to create in harmony with life’s rhythm.

How important is “meaning” to you – to create something more than just a beautiful product? Do you believe a piece of jewelry can shift a woman’s inner world?
Meaning is absolutely essential to me. Beauty alone isn’t enough unless it’s connected to purpose, story, soul. Creating just “pretty things” is technique. But creating something that transforms perception, that opens a woman’s inner space to herself – that is true art. Jewelry has a unique ability to be close to the body and the heart at the same time. It’s physically present but holds something deeper – intention, memory, energy, protection, power. It’s a quiet ally, chosen by the woman (or choosing her) at a certain point in her journey. Yes, I believe jewelry can shift the atmosphere – both in a space and within the woman herself. It can ground her, strengthen her, remind her who she is, and bring her home to herself. Sometimes it’s the first step toward allowing more – seeing herself, hearing herself, shining, claiming her space. When jewelry is created with that awareness, it becomes more than an accessory. It becomes a talisman.

“It showed me that the greatest responsibility is to remain true to myself – and that when a brand is created from this place, it has the power to truly resonate.” The Business Muse Paulina

How has your approach to the brand evolved over the years? What have you learned from the market – and from your intuition?
Over the years, my relationship to the brand has shifted from a desire to “prove something” to a deeper awareness that the brand is a living organism – with its own rhythm, soul, and evolution. It’s no longer just about what I offer to the world, but how I do it, where it comes from, and what it evokes in others and in me. The market taught me to be clear, specific, and to communicate value transparently. It taught me not to fear structure or planning, and that for a brand to grow, it needs healthy boundaries and clarity. It also taught me that people don’t just feel the product – they feel the energy, the intention, and the authenticity behind it. Intuition, on the other hand, showed me when to slow down, when not to do something even if it “made sense.” It taught me to read between the lines, to trust feelings, and to stay aligned with myself and life’s cycles. It helped me discern whether I was creating from the heart or under pressure. It showed me that the greatest responsibility is to remain true to myself – and that when a brand is born from that place, it truly has impact. Today, I see by Paulina jewelry more as a space than a project – a place where creativity, stories, transformation, and feminine energy meet.

Which piece from your collection would you take for a weekend by the sea – and which one to an important business meeting?
Every piece of jewelry carries energy, and when chosen consciously, it becomes part of the role I need to embody. For a weekend by the sea, I’d choose something light and free-flowing – something that reminds me of freedom, flow, and connection with nature. A pearl necklace like Simple Pearls, or the minimalist Shell Necklace with its seashell shape. The Pearlove ring made from baroque pearls, or the Mystère bracelet with ruby, sapphire, and pearl.
For an important business meeting, I’d wear something that brings clarity, grounding, and calm strength. Elegant, more statement earrings like Simple Barock, which emphasize posture and inner confidence. A refined ring like Fine Pearl Ring or Mirror Karma Ring. Jewelry that doesn’t shout – but speaks clearly.