Home is where the heart is for Jennifer Meyer. “Everything I’ve ever done is in L.A.,” the jewelry designer said of the city that continues to inspire her, and where she’s proudly built her business since 2005.

And that heart beats strong. “Being born and raised in L.A., my family being part of one business and me being part of another, my friends being all over the place, it has been incredibly influential in my life, in my business and growing it,” she said of how the city helped inform the direction and recognition of the brand around now-iconic pieces such as the signature leaf and nameplate necklaces.

“I launched the brand with these ideas that I wanted to see made and created…I wanted to get whatever was in my head out and onto my neck,” she said. .

Meyer asserts that the collection remains a vision of the types of pieces she herself longs to wear, and not pieces designed for a red carpet moment or endorsement. “I look at pieces and think that if I love and I’ll wear it, hopefully other people will too,” she said. “That’s not always the case, but it seems to be working more times than not.”

Though she’s had strong support from a coterie of friends and family in the entertainment industry, Meyer carved out a niche for herself among a generation of rising design talent. The designer, along with Tabitha Simmons, was named runner-up of the 2012 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Fellow Angeleno Greg Chait was named winner that year.

Local production has also played a crucial role in helping to define the brand. “A big part of our brand is that we do produce every piece in Los Angeles, not New York, not China, not India. It’s all here,” Meyer explained. “It’s nice not being too far from it.”

“Every piece that’s made comes through our office, and we all have our hands on it to make sure that it’s as perfect as possible,” she continued. “We see every single piece. Nothing gets produced and goes straight to the customer, not one piece. It’s all quality controlled by us.”

Like other designers based in L.A., the city holds an intangible grip on Meyer. “My kids are here, my family’s here, my friends are here, my business is here. Everything I love is in Los Angeles,” she said of the city, which allows her to put blinders on throughout the creative process – sometimes too much so, she confessed.

But blinders or not, the sun-drenched scenery – along with the city’s re-energized creative energy — continue to inspire her. “You always have beautiful weather, you’re always outside, you have the beach, you have the mountains, and the people are so creative and kind,” she said.

And in an ever-growing competitive market, the defining elements of Meyer’s delicate, handcrafted 18-karat timeless keepsakes are all too important.

“When I began making jewelry, no one was selling on the Internet, there was no Instagram, and Facebook was for keeping in touch with your friends,” she said. “So any design came from your head and your heart.”

As for the influx of new designers, Meyer asserted, “There’s room for everybody. There are always cool, smart young people who have something to share and I love that. If you can stick with your aesthetic and stick with your design, you’re going to be successful. That’s how stores are going to take you, that’s why people are going to buy your stuff.”

No doubt, Meyer continues to set that bar high with her continuously covetable designs and “Made with Love in Los Angeles” story that’s filled with, what else, heart.