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Lava Bangles and Cast Barnacles Inhabit Dana Bodourov's Studio

By Tiffany Yannetta

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Welcome to Open Studio, a Racked feature where we explore the workspaces and showrooms of some of the city's most talented, up-and-coming designers.

  • One side of the studio room is mine and the other side is my boyfriend's. We work in very close proximity to each other, and the fact that our work is so different from each other's makes it an interesting set up.
  • I ask him what he thinks of a certain piece I'm working on and get an honest answer from someone who is an outsider to the jewelry world. Vise versa when he asks me about whatever song he is working on. We both give each other feedback and encouragement.
  • Lava Chain Ring, from $110
  • I found most of these photos at the picture collection in the Midtown library. It's a really great place to go when looking for inspirational images. The wooden "Bodourov" was carved by my grandfather who had a background in woodworking. He also ma
  • I got the little bloody witch fingers one halloween and have kept them around, hanging out on some of my tools. It's a funny safety reminder to myself. The wall hanging/sculpture I made from a tree branch, rope, and cast brass. I started working on small
  • Single Stone Lava Ring made in brass or sterling silver, from $90.
  • I found these brass camels at a flea market in New Jersey. I love the thrill of the hunt when it comes to flea markets and thrifting. That moment when you find a hidden treasure.
  • Four Stone Lava Ring in sterling silver with turquoise stones, $225
  • Like most creative people, I am more of a night person. I actually feel more awake and inspired at night. One of the pros in having a live/work space is that I don't mind working until midnight or even much later if there is a lot to be done.
  • Small Talon Studs, from $55
  • I like to work with wax, so usually an idea will start there. I may take an object from nature and experiment with it. I'll cut it up into different shapes, melt it, bend it, and put it back together as something else. I'll have an idea of what I want the
  • The metals I use currently are brass, bronze, and sterling silver. I use semiprecious and precious stones such as citrine, sapphire, garnet, turquoise, and quartz, to name a few.
  • Barnacle Earrings (cast from actual barnacle), from $80
  • Lava Stack Set Rings, from $95 (left); Single Stone Lava Ring, from $90 (right);
  • This neighborhood is very residential part of Greenpoint, close to Mcgloric Park. I like that it is actually very close to the city—we have a great skyline view but at the same time it feels a little isolated.
  • I made the copper globe while taking a metal forming class. It was going to be a vase but I never finished it after I flash burned my hand with a giant torch. I decided that I prefer to solder small objects only from that point on. Now it just holds some
  • Assorted bracelets: Lava Bangles (from $50), Big Lava Bangle (from $160)
  • Tiny Crab Posts, from $70 and available in brass or silver
  • Small Talon Studs, from $55 (front)
  • Shoal Cuff carved from shells in wax, $220
  • I like to let my designs change as they develop. I think that is an essential part of making the idea a reality. Thinking in the metal and seeing what works and what doesn't.


Photos by Driely S. for Racked

Jewelry designer Dana Bodourov shares a small studio space with her musician boyfriend, so at any given time you'll either hear the hammering of brass, notes from the keyboards, or both. Though she's spent the past seven years in the city "surrounded by so much concrete and geometry," Bodourov pulls a lot inspiration from nature for her line Rila.

"Rila is named after a Bulgarian mountain range where my dad's side of the family is from", she says. "I thought it fitting, as I wanted Rila to be a collection of pieces inspired by elements found in nature and history."

One of her recent collections is a "lava" series, inspired by volcanoes (bracelets in brass and sterling look like twisted hot molten fluid) and the one before that was inspired by the ocean. See some of those beautiful pieces and get a glimpse into her workspace after the jump.

· Rila [Official Site]
· All Open Studio Features [Racked NY]