Mevesh Ozagar, Designer

ISTA Owner and Head Designer, Mevesh Ozagar, was born and raised in Istanbul—the great Silk Road city and centuries old ‘salon’ where so many peoples and cultures from Central Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean came together and left their mark.

While she graduated with accolades from one of Turkey’s oldest fine-arts schools, and won multiple awards from the World Gold Council for her designs, it was her time spent among the master jewelry artisans of Istanbul’s ancient Grand Bazaar (Kapali Çarsi) that sealed her fate as a jewelry designer. After working for 13 years as Chief Designer for an international, fine jewelry firm headquartered in Manhattan, Mevesh launched her own ISTA line of superbly crafted pieces.

Each piece is beautifully crafted in hand-hammered or smooth 18K gold, oxidized silver, and natural gemstones including diamond, prehnite, emerald, ruby, sapphire, malachite, moonstone, lapis, tourmaline, rose, smoky and rutilated quartz. The artist approves every stone for the highest beauty and quality.

Her unique creations are inspired by the flower and animal motifs found in traditional Turkish ceramic and textile works and by the harmonious forms found in Byzantine, Ottoman and Anatolian architecture.

For all of these antique influences, ISTA’s mission is to create jewelry that is gorgeous, versatile and fun for today’s woman.

“All women are beautiful—good jewelry design enhances this beauty by highlighting the wearer’s individual taste and sensibility. ISTA’s designs are for women of wit and grace—women of character who know their own hearts and minds. ”  —Mevesh