Alum leads innovation in jewelry design with Tiffany & Co., blending artistry and technology
Dana Crosley Naberezny ’95 is not sure how her art teacher obtained permission to put jewelry torches in the
hands of high schoolers, but the class sparked a lifelong passion and career.
“I was instantly interested in jewelry and wanted to understand how it was created,”
says Naberezny, who received a patent with a fellow student shortly after the class
for their concept of magnetic jewelry and accessories.
Today, Naberezny is chief innovation officer of jewelry for Tiffany & Company and
vice president of the company’s Jewelry Design and Innovation Workshop, which she launched in 2018. The 17,000-square-foot workshop, which combines craftsmanship
with advanced technologies, brings together CAD designers, expert jewelers, and engineers
in a single space to innovate and create for one of the most recognizable global luxury
names.
Naberezny, from White Plains, N.Y., started her career at Tiffany & Company shortly
after graduation and has held various leadership positions in product development,
supply management, and product engineering. She also led the product development divisions
at luxury jewelry and watch companies David Yurman and Movado, where she oversaw research
and development, engineering, CAD, prototyping, project management, and sourcing.
From 2014 to 2016, Naberezny was a management consultant who worked on large-scale
business transformation initiatives in the fashion and accessories industries. She
rejoined Tiffany in 2016 to lead the creation and launch of the workshop she now oversees.
Naberezny came to Skidmore to explore various career trajectories. Within the first
semester, however, she knew her passion was jewelry. The self-determined major in
metal arts management not only wanted to create jewelry but also understand the history
and business side — how it was marketed and the economics of fluctuating raw materials.
“To me, that was the beauty of Skidmore. In one place, I was able to dive deep into
all the elements of this industry,” she says. “It truly gave me a more holistic picture.”
Naberezny has returned to campus several times and has mentored numerous Skidmore
interns and graduates over the years. In her latest visit last spring, she met with
students and her College mentor, art professor David Peterson, who specializes in
jewelry making and metalsmithing. She says, “I would not be the jewelry creator I
am today without Skidmore and David Peterson.”
