Anne Waddell Jewelry Founder Story
Anne Waddell Toohey has always been drawn to creativity. From crafting beaded friendship bracelets in high school to painting with passion, her artistic spirit has never wavered. Her classmates even crowned her “Most Likely to Become an Artist”—a title she’s lived up to with flair.
Her journey into jewelry design began during her freshman year at the University of Kansas, where a casting class introduced her to the thrill of torches and molten metal. That moment lit a fire in her soul. She immersed herself in the studio, forging metal into wearable art, and eventually earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design in the 2000s.
After college, Anne spent six years at Nordstrom, where she specialized in selling designer jewelry brands and became the David Yurman specialist. Her expertise and passion led her to help open a new David Yurman store, where she eventually rose to the role of store manager. These years honed her customer experience skills and deepened her understanding of luxury retail.
While building her career, Anne continued designing jewelry in her parents’ garage—her first studio space and the birthplace of her brand. Like many great ventures, it all started in a humble garage.
In 2018, Anne took a leap. Encouraged by her sister and fueled by years of experience selling top jewelry brands, she launched Anne Waddell Jewelry. Her mission: to create meaningful pieces that connect with people and celebrate their stories. Inspired by nature’s imperfect beauty, personal highs and lows, and the love of her family and friends, Anne crafts each piece with sterling silver, gold, gemstones—and intention.
Since launching, Anne has designed numerous collections, collaborated with the Minnesota Vikings to launch the Turf Collection, a special line created to raise funds for the Vikings Foundation, and styled Amanda Brinkman on Season 5 of the Daytime Emmy-nominated Small Business Revolution alongside Ty Pennington. She outgrew her home studio and opened her first dedicated space in Deephaven, MN in spring 2022.
And in the summer of 2025, Anne took another bold step—moving into a brand-new studio that’s twice the size of her previous location. This expansion marks a new chapter for Anne Waddell Jewelry, as Anne looks to scale production and bring her designs to even more people.
When she’s not at the bench creating, Anne enjoys spending time with her husband Tim, daughters Caitlin and Charlotte, and their beloved pup Bailey.