Green, orange and other earth tones adorn the living room, whose decoration is at once modern and traditional “” old and new coming together. The style of Natalie Mingura’s North Park home mimics her jewelry, which is understandable since Mingura pours her heart and soul into her work.
Mingura, 32, prides herself on her unique, handmade designs and collections, each of which tells the story of a girl who shares something in common with Mingura herself.
“I used to visit my grandma in Mexico City and spend hours going through her jewelry box,” Mingura said, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers as she recalls fond memories.
During her childhood at All Saints, a private school in Hillcrest, Mingura would make friendship bracelets, a common practice of elementary-aged girls. But even then, Mingura would go above and beyond the typical design, using beads and incorporating sea glass and shells she found on the beach. Mingura, an entreprenurial youth, eventually started a small business around the bracelets.
“I would sell them to my friends in Mexico City for $1,” she said.
As she transitioned to Correia Junior High School and then Point Loma High School, Mingura’s hobby soon turned into a passion.
“I always wanted to be a teacher,” Mingura said.
After earning a bachelor’s degree with a major in political science and a minor in Spanish at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Mingura moved to Maui, where she worked as a waitress and soaked up the island culture, the future inspiration for her Island Girl jewelry collection.
After two years in Maui, Mingura returned home and earned a master’s degree in educational technology at San Diego State University. It was around this time that Mingura’s jewelry business really took root.
At first, jewelry design was an outlet for the stress of academia. But soon, the creative juices were flowing, and passion for design filled her veins.
Mingura began selling her works to subsidize her college tuition. At the time, most of her designs focused on beadwork. She had taken a few beading classes during her college years but otherwise had no formal training in jewelry making.
“I really wanted to do something different,” Mingura said of her unusual designs.

Mingura imports her gems such as turquoise, carnelian, amethyst, peridot and tourmaline directly from India to ensure good clarity and a cheaper price. She also uses real sterling silver and gold-plated metals.
A store in Mission Hills, California Fleurish, 4011 Goldfinch St., was the first boutique to carry Mingura’s designs. By the time Mingura earned her master’s, three boutiques in San Diego were carrying her jewelry.
With the goal of teaching slowly fading into the background, Mingura began pursuing her career as a jewelry designer and creator, despite having no experience in business and marketing.
“Marketing and sales are not my strong point,” Mingura said, though she is apprehensive about hiring a publicist to assist in that aspect. “It’s hard to find someone who truly believes in your product.”
Through networking and travel, Mingura has been able to spread the word about her work, which can now be found in boutiques in New York, Florida, Colorado, California, Hawaii and Japan.
In 2001, Mingura launched Natalie Mingura Designs and Natalie Mingura Jewelry. She named her company Natalie Mingura Designs to expand her business into other markets, such as belts and other accessories.
Currently Mingura has six collections available, though they are constantly changing. A seventh, The Romantic, will revolve around love and will incorporate hearts into many of the pieces and should be available for purchase prior to Valentine’s Day.
Island Girl, as previously mentioned, was inspired by Mingura’s experience in Maui. According to Mingura’s Web site, the Island Girl is the beautiful daughter of a sea captain, who washed up on the Beach of Enchantment, where she collects treasures from the shore “” just like Mingura did when she was little.
Vintage Girl reflects another piece of Mingura’s personality, the part of her that loves to go “garaging” and breathe new life into old treasures such as the ones she often finds at antique shops on Newport Avenue.
Fortuneteller incorporates sayings inspired by Mingura’s onetime obsession with fortune cookie fortunes.
“My purse was full of fortunes,” Mingura said.
“The Fortuneteller” uses sayings such as “Be the change you wish to see in the world” and “Trust your intuition,” each hammered into the metal by hand, which accounts for a few bruised fingers and broken bones in the past.
And as Mingura’s favorite saying goes, “Believe in the power of passion,” just as she herself has in turning a hobby into a career.
Mingura’s jewelry can be found in Ocean Beach at Rock, Paper, Scissors at 4976 Newport Ave. For more information on Mingura’s jewelry and the story behind the collections, visit www.nataliemingura.com.