In this episode of The Mettā Interview, host Anne V Mühlethaler welcomes Danielle Keller Aviram, a specialised sustainable jewellery consultant, researcher, and lecturer who bridges the worlds of design, sustainability, and education. With an origin story rooted in childhood museum visits and cultural experiences, Danielle traces her journey from jewellery designer to becoming a leading voice in sustainable practices within the jewellery industry.
Danielle shares how her early exposure to art and culture, from dancing ballet to seeing Swan Lake at 12 in London, planted seeds for her lifelong appreciation of meaningful, tangible beauty. She recounts a transformative four-month journey through East Africa in her early twenties, where she found herself drawn not to the expected landscapes and wildlife, but to local crafts and textiles. This moment of recognition, dragging her friend to learn basket-weaving from banana leaves, illuminated her unique perspective and led her to pursue jewellery design.
Danielle describes hitting a wall after becoming a jewellery designer, when trying to trace the origins of the gold and stones she worked with. Unable to get straight answers from suppliers about where materials came from, she realised she couldn't authentically promise customers she was providing the best products from the best materials when she knew nothing about their journey. This revelation led her to pursue an MA in Sustainable Fashion in Berlin, where she discovered that despite coming from different cultures and contexts, everyone faced the same sustainability challenges.
In the second half of the interview, Anne and Danielle come to the episode’s central question: How to hold and balance multiple identities and passions simultaneously in a world that keeps asking us to choose just one?
Danielle articulates her personal challenge of wearing many hats – designer, sustainability consultant, researcher, lecturer, mother – in a world that values narrow specialisation. She points out the irony that sustainability itself requires a holistic perspective, yet the professional world often pushes for singular focus.
Danielle beautifully illustrates how her multiple perspectives enhance rather than dilute her work. Universities value her industry connections, clients appreciate her design background, and her role as a mother deepens her commitment to creating a sustainable future.
The episode offers profound insights about the fluidity of human experience, with Danielle describing her journey as walking through a dark tunnel, slowly gathering tools and connections, now beginning to see light at the end. She makes a compelling case that in addressing global sustainability challenges, we need people who can see the bigger picture and understand interconnections – not just specialists focused on narrow solutions.
Their exploration reveals how honesty and authenticity are tied to sustainability, and how bringing our full humanity to our work enriches rather than detracts from our professional contributions. The conversation serves as both validation and inspiration for anyone struggling to honour their multifaceted nature in a world that often demands we pick just one lane.
Happy listening!
Selected links from episode
Connect with Danielle:
LinkedIn: Danielle Keller Aviram
Instagram: @daniellekelleraviram
Website: daniellekelleraviram.com
Danielle's Work:
Truly Precious Foundation (co-founder) - sustainable knowledge-sharing platform for the jewellery sector
Masterclass at Le Trente: "Beyond the price of gold: Unlocking the holistic value in your jewellery box" - December 8, 2025, 5pm CET
Book now: https://lu.ma/0hpywk7k
Referenced in the Interview:
Musée d'Orsay, Paris
Louvre Museum heist (recent jewellery robbery)
CIBJO (World Jewellery Confederation)
AMD Berlin (Academy of Fashion & Design)
Shenkar College - Jewelry Design Department