FOUNDER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Cier was founded by Deena Danielle, whose approach to jewelry is rooted in a lifelong appreciation for design and the emotional connection we form with the pieces we wear. Introduced to fine jewelry through her maternal grandmother, Deena grew to see jewelry as more than adornment. The pieces she inherited became objects of memory, connection, and a sense of empowerment and protection that continues to influence her work today.
While earning her BFA at the University of Iowa, Deena studied jewelry design and began developing the ideas that would lead to her earliest collections. She later continued her practice at a jeweler’s bench in Miami, creating and refining her own designs before earning an M.A. in Luxury & Brand Management from Savannah College of Art and Design, further shaping her approach to thoughtful design, sustainability, and modern luxury.
In 2024, Deena established Cier, evolving the company she began in 2016 into a new identity shaped by nearly a decade of design exploration and experience. Today, she remains involved in every aspect of the brand, from the first sketch and design ideation to the final details of how each piece is presented. Through Cier, she creates pieces intended to carry the same sense of meaning, confidence, and connection that first drew her to jewelry.
JANE ANN BLEYER CIRCA 1950
Around the age of 13 Deena was shown her grandmother's jewelry collection. It held special meaning because the pieces were not taken out often. However, on a Sunday afternoon when there was some extra time in the day they were pulled out from their original jewelry boxes, from decades prior, just to be admired. Although the boxes were stained from age, the jewelry was flawless, protected by velvet pouches. Her mother described the pieces; the metal stamp on the inside of rings proved they were 14k gold or 925 sterling silver and she explained what the gleaming precious stones were. On occasions like her 16th and 21st birthday Deena was gifted a piece. She was passed down two tiara style stackable rings (her mother wears the third), which she cherishes and wears daily. For Deena, jewelry became a way to be connected to her ancestry. Although she never met her maternal grandmother she knew she would have loved and respected her, not only for her sense of style, but for her confidence, and the way she lived life on her own terms.