Most people wait until it’s perfect. Anna Fodor didn’t. She picked up some shells, followed her curiosity, and built a brand that’s as beautiful as it is intentional. @intertidaljewelry is the story of what happens when you stop waiting and just begin.
When I sat down with Anna Fodor of Intertidal Jewelry, I wasn’t expecting to be swept into a story about shells, childhood, and the quiet kind of bravery it takes to build something beautiful from the ground up—or in her case, from the sand up.
Anna’s earliest connection to the ocean runs deep. Her family has long ties to Baja, Mexico, where they built a house. That beach was the first place her feet touched the ocean. She’s been returning there ever since, collecting shells during long morning walks—a meditative tradition that became second nature.
“You start to get an eye for what you’re looking for,” she told me, recalling how thrilling it felt to find the perfect shell. It was calm and exciting all at once—just like creating art.
That intuitive search for beauty would eventually evolve into jewelry making. One summer, she and her cousin found her mom’s craft supplies and started turning shells into earrings and necklaces for fun. “We didn’t even know what she had,” Anna laughed. “We just went for it.” Years passed, but the seed had been planted.
Eventually, Anna discovered how to source higher-quality materials and officially launched her brand. Her cousin helped brainstorm the name Intertidal—a nod to the ocean zone between high and low tides, where most of the shells she collects wash up. That poetic middle space is where her jewelry was born.
But like most creative ventures, her path wasn’t linear. Her first market didn’t go as planned—no chair, no sales, and hardly any foot traffic. “I stood there for four hours,” she said. “But I didn’t give up.” She kept showing up, trusting that her work would speak to the right people. And it did.
Now, Intertidal Jewelry has found its rhythm. Anna has hosted her own backyard markets, hand-delivering flyers and personally inviting neighbors. At one of them, three vendors sold out, and she made more in four hours than she had at bigger events. “It gave me energy,” she said. “It showed me what was possible when I just went for it.”
Her work has evolved from simple shell pieces to handcrafted designs made of pearls, sterling silver, and gold-filled metals. She’s even begun exploring wax carving and casting—transforming raw silver into sculpted rings, made entirely from scratch. It’s intricate, painstaking work, but she lights up when talking about it. “I have so many ideas,” she said, showing me hand-drawn sketches and half-finished pieces scattered across her studio.
Anna’s design process is a mix of experimentation, dedication, and flow. She spoke about phases of burnout, but also about how much joy she finds when she’s fully immersed in creating. “I can also do it for so long and be like so happy doing it,” she said. Whether she’s working with pearls, soldering silver, or building out a new collection, she finds the process grounding and present. “It brings me into the moment,” she shared. “And it’s fun because it’s not just the jewelry—it’s building something, it’s the whole business.”
She gathers many of her shells by hand—some while snorkeling in Baja, others on the shores of places like Tulum and Gualala. Nothing about her jewelry is mass-produced. It’s thoughtful, seasonal, and often limited edition—created in small batches so each collection has its own energy and story.
When I asked Anna if she thinks of herself as an artist, she paused and then smiled. “I guess I am,” she said. “Especially now that I’m designing things from scratch and casting my own silver. It’s not just about making something pretty. It’s about making something meaningful—something that lasts.”
Before we wrapped, I asked what she would say to someone thinking about starting their own creative business. Her answer was simple and powerful:
“Just start. Don’t wait for it to be perfect. The learning happens in the doing. Go ham. Run with it.”
And that’s exactly what Anna’s doing. One shell, one spark, one piece at a time—she’s building a brand that’s as grounded and radiant as the coastlines that inspire her.
Connect with Intertidal Jewelry
💍 Website: intertidaljewelry.com
📸 Instagram: @intertidaljewelry
💌 Email: intertidaljewelry@gmail.com
🛍️ Stocked at:
– Haus of Trade, San Clemente
– Olas Ceramics, San Clemente
Art convos 
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