Jewellery Showcase: Sarah Dobranowski

Sarah Ana Designs, designed and made by Sarah Dobranowski, is jewellery inspired by vintage glamour, lovely lace and treasures you might find in your grandmother's jewellery box.

Sarah Dobranowski first explored jewellery making as a child, at a birthday party, at a bead store in Toronto. After that she was hooked! "We used to make jewellery and sell it. Instead of a lemonade stand we sold our jewellery at the end of the driveway."  

Sarah completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and a teaching certificate from Concordia University in Montreal and continued her education to graduate from the George Brown College Jewellery Arts Program in Toronto. She then became a resident in the Jewellery Studio at Harbourfront, this gave her time to explore new avenues in goldsmithing. "It was there that I started to explore working with lace. I was lucky to have 4 years at Harbourfront Centre. It was enough time to really build a body of work. It also gave me opportunities to show my work in exhibitions, which led me to explore some larger pieces of jewellery."

In 2015, Sarah was asked to join the George Brown teaching team. "There is something unique and special about returning to where you were educated and to be able to teach the new generations of goldsmiths. It is an honour to be able to say that I work in one of the best jewellery programs in the world." 

Sarah currently works in a shared studio in the Leslieville area with 3 other goldsmiths. "I split my time between the studio and teaching. I also have a bench set up at my cottage, so that during the summer I can take my girls to the lake and I can still get work done.

"When I can be quiet with my thoughts, that [is when] new ideas pop into my head." 

A love for vintage fashion, especially from the 1920s and 1950s, can be seen as a strong influence in her designs. "I feel like everywhere I look I am always getting ideas and thinking how something could be translated into jewellery form."

View Sarah Dobranowski's latest work on display in the Jewellery Showcase at our Distillery Shop, on display from March 21 - May 10, 2026.