In an age where a screen printed t-shirt line can be considered your latest ready to wear collection, it can be difficult to start a brand without feeling trendy to some extent. Atul Mavuduru ran into this exact crossroad when he wanted to start something of his own. Either follow the screen-printed T-shirt trend or find his own niche. Thus came the Silver Stone, a startup jewelry line that began just over a year ago, and now has landed accounts with upscale boutiques such as Machus. Mavaduru found a space to fill with his creativity while breaking out of your typical start-up brand. What grabbed our attention was the minimal product photography and the unique necklaces and rings at a fair price ($80-$100). We recently sat down with the 17-year-old jewelry designer to discuss his design process & the future of The Silver Stone in this exclusive interview. Be sure to check out the full Q+A below. 

"My name is Atul Mavuduru. I'm 17 years old, currently residing in the Bay Area. I started The Silver Stone at the end of my sophomore year of high school, about a year ago. The whole brand is essentially just an extension of myself and my own stories and thoughts. I've had a passion for clothes since I was about 9 and as that interest grew, so did my interest in starting my own line. Once high school came around, I decided it was the right time to do something of my own. I wanted to do something different. Not the same screen printed t-shirts we've seen time and time again. The whole idea began when I started noticing some of my friends and other people on different fashion forums asking where they could buy simple silver jewelry. At the time I was both buying and making little pieces for myself but never sold anything. I decided to start putting up a couple different pieces up for sale on the forums and on Grailed. They started selling quick and I was getting a lot of attention from a lot of different people just wanting to buy my pieces. From there I knew I had something and that was essentially the inception of the whole brand today."

What was the most challenging aspect when you began designing jewelry?

"The most challenging thing when I began designing jewelry was creating pieces that matched the brand's identity and went with the story I was trying to tell. I've always had a clear idea of what I wanted the brand as a whole to look like, but creating pieces that went along with it was definitely quite difficult in beginning. But with every passing collection, it definitely gets easier as the brands DNA becomes clearer and clearer. "

What are your favorite pieces to design?

"I've always had an affinity for necklaces and chains since I was a kid so designing them is definitely my favorite. You can basically hang anything from a chain so it gives me a lot of room to create something unique. I've been coming up with some new ideas for bracelets as of late and that's been quite fun as well."

How has it been managing a business and designing pieces while you are still in school?

"It is tough balancing both school and business. It's a lot of juggling and going back and forth. Obviously, school is important but the type of enjoyment and fulfillment I get from running the brand is unlike anything else. I just try to watch my time as much as possible and prioritize what's the most important at the moment."

Any plans for being carried in boutique stores or just sticking to e-commerce? 

"We are currently stocked in Machus out in Portland (shout out to Jacob). That was a huge deal for me as I've been following the store and a few of the people who work there since it opened. I am definitely looking to bring The Silver Stone to a few more retailers within the next 6-7 months or at least by the time our next collection releases." 

Anything that you are currently exploring or wanting to do next with the Silver Stone?

"The Silver Stone's next collection will be releasing very soon. I have a lot of things planned for it and more samples then I can count in production. Just looking to grow as much as possible within the next year while still keeping the brand as authentic as possible."

Be sure to shop The Silver Stone here.