Mia and Carlo of By Tonin

Launched in 2025, BY TONIN grew from Carlo and Mia’s shared appreciation for jewellery as a marker of people, places and moments. Mia leads the creative direction and designs each piece, while Carlo brings a practical eye to the systems and processes behind the business.

Ahead of their first physical activation at Spacefor, we spoke with them about building the brand together, the design process behind each piece and where they hope to take BY TONIN next.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your brand?

BY TONIN is an Auckland-based jewellery brand that came to life in 2025, founded by us, husband-and-wife Carlo and Mia Tonin.

It’s a considered perspective on jewellery, shaped by a love of art, design and creating beautiful things. Mia leads the creative direction and designs each piece, while I, Carlo, focus on systems and processes and bring a practical perspective to the business.

Mia and I have been together for almost 10 years, and so many of our most meaningful memories are tied to a piece of jewellery. A gift from one another, a moment we wanted to celebrate, a milestone we didn’t want to forget. That was the inspiration behind the brand.

We’ve always loved the personal significance behind a well-chosen piece, because something you wear every day can become connected to a person, a place or a moment.

How did your journey start?

BY TONIN started organically. We always knew we wanted to build a business together, something that reflected our values rather than simply creating another brand.

The early ideas came about in 2022. Mia had a concussion, and during that break she decided to enrol in art school part-time. She’s always loved art and design, and that’s where the first ideas were born.

Jewellery felt like the right canvas for her creativity because it sits at the intersection of art, design and the stories we attach to each piece.

In 2024, we took the leap and started working on it properly, and in 2025 we launched.

Can you share an interesting aspect of your work? Maybe a part of the product-making process or a unique work ritual you have?

Mia designs all our pieces, and we start by thinking about the person we’re designing for. Who is it for, what’s the occasion, and where will they wear it?

We try to picture the scene. It could be someone putting it on for the first time after receiving a gift from their partner, or to mark a milestone they’ve worked hard for.

Mia sketches on a notepad, usually with a candle going and an iced matcha melting next to her. She’ll fill a few pages, screw up a few more, and keep going. Then the drawings get more refined, and many rounds later we’ve got the finished piece.

We also only release a few designs at a time. We’d rather make fewer pieces and get each one right than fill the range for the sake of it.

We’re proud that every piece has a connection to our story, and that it can become a symbol of celebration in someone else’s life.

What are the future plans and goals for you personally, and for your company?

Looking further ahead, our goal is to double down on the experiential side of the brand.

Because jewellery is so tactile and emotional, we plan to invest in a physical retail presence, whether through more frequent pop-ups or eventually our own flagship store.

We want to give people the opportunity to see and feel the pieces in person, allowing our community to connect with the story, the craftsmanship and the values behind BY TONIN.

Can you tell us about the upcoming Spacefor activation? What can customers expect from you, and why did you decide to do it?

The upcoming Spacefor activation will be our first in-person experience for BY TONIN.

As part of the event, we are launching the Solitaire collection, our latest solid gold and diamond collection, and we couldn’t be more excited to give people a chance to see it firsthand.

As founders, we are looking forward to connecting with our community and introducing the brand to others who haven’t yet discovered BY TONIN. During the pop-up, both Mia and Carlo will be on site, and we’re bringing our entire product range.

The first 30 orders will receive a special goodie bag featuring multiple products from some of our favourite brands, and visitors will also have the chance to enter the draw to win a silver bracelet from our Essential Diamond collection.

Quick Answers

Currently, our favourite brands are:
Ashley & Co., Free AF Drinks, Bluebells Cakery, J. Friend & Co., Nomu Matcha, Josephine, San Margo, SŌEN, Dear Joe, Betty Bars and OHEN.

We use and love all of them, so it’s special to us that they’re part of our first pop-up.

An object or item we can’t live without:
My bike. I love cycling. For Mia, it’s her Le Creuset pans. She’s convinced everything tastes better in them, and I benefit from it.

Our favourite online destination is:
bytonin.com, of course. After that, Pinterest for Mia and YouTube for me.

Our favourite place to shop, anywhere in the world, is:
We love supporting local brands and, as much as possible, we try to shop from near us.

Offline vs Online?
We believe they both serve different purposes. It’s hard to beat the convenience and efficiency of getting things done online, but we also love creating moments of connection and reflection that can only truly exist offline.