Suzy Levian’s Hidden Diamond

How One Designer Turned Her Struggles into Strength for Others

In the world of luxury jewelry, the story is usually about exclusivity, glamour, and status. But for designer Suzy Levian, the story runs much deeper. For over a decade, she’s been using her brand to tell a different kind of story—one about strength, resilience, and empowering women to shine in their own right.

Suzy’s journey started in the most personal way. She comes from a family with a tradition of over 500 years in jewelry-making. But in that long history, not one woman had ever taken the lead in design or business. “Only the men can work and the women cannot,” was a belief that ran deep. When her father passed, the family business was handed to her brothers, and she knew she had a decision to make.

“I needed to make a change. I needed to be the difference,” Suzy says now, looking back. In 2010, with six young kids—“six kids within ten years”—she launched her own brand from scratch. It wasn’t easy balancing diapers with diamonds, but it was important. She wanted to prove to herself and her daughters that it could be done.

Her personal story became the foundation for everything she created. Each piece of Suzy Levian jewelry includes a Secret Diamond®—a small, hidden stone embedded within the design. It’s more than a signature—it’s a symbol.

“I wanted every woman who wears a piece of jewelry to know that there’s something hidden inside of it, to remind them of their own hidden talents,” Suzy explains. The idea came from her own experience of doubting herself, struggling to feel confident, and realizing that what makes us beautiful is often what’s not seen. “True beauty is from within,” she says.

This belief eventually evolved into a much larger mission. In 2025, Suzy officially launched EmpowerHer™, a nonprofit organization that helps women entrepreneurs by offering grants, scholarships, and mentorship. “For years I’ve been networking and trying to help new entrepreneur women and trying to guide them through the struggles that I also went through myself,” she says. Making it official was the natural next step.

What makes EmpowerHer special is how involved Suzy is personally. When a young woman once called the office hoping for some basic business advice, she didn’t expect to speak to Suzy herself. “This is Suzy?? Like you’re on the phone??” the caller asked. Without hesitation, Suzy answered, “They told me there was a girl who needed advice, so what’s going on?”

This kind of accessibility isn’t an act—it’s who she is. Having gone through the chaos and difficulty of launching a brand while raising a big family, Suzy understands how hard the journey can be. She believes that support makes all the difference.

EmpowerHer isn’t just about funding—it’s about building a sisterhood. It connects women with other founders, offers educational content, and encourages collaboration rather than competition. “It’s connecting people who can potentially help each other,” she says. “Not just one mentor, but a whole network of women helping each other.”

Suzy also walks the talk when it comes to giving back. She donates 20% of gross proceeds from her brand to charitable causes. “It’s not just jewelry. It’s meaning,” she often says. For her, success isn’t about profit—it’s about purpose.

Now expanding into lifestyle categories like fashion and home décor, Suzy stays grounded in her mission. “There has to be meaning. There has to be a mission behind it,” she says. Her business is built on values, and at the heart of it all is her commitment to helping other women rise.

With four daughters of her own and a growing community of empowered women around her, Suzy Levian is proving that luxury doesn’t have to come at the expense of meaning. In fact, for her, the real gem is when the two go hand in hand.

For more on Suzy Levian and her latest collections, visit https://suzylevian.com. Follow along on Instagram @suzylevian.