Al Sandimirova

Al Sandimirova is an indigenous, queer, trans, non-binary, refugee, and activist who is the founder, CEO, and Jewelry designer behind Automic Gold.

Biography
Sandimirova is originally from Tatarstan, an independent republic of Russia, and is indigenous of Chuvash descent.

Sandimirova came to the U.S in 2009 as an LGBT refugee. Because the US was in an economic crisis and they were an undocumented immigrant, Sandimirova struggled to find work. In order to make money, they began their own business buying used gold and diamond jewelry and repairing them.

In 2013 Sandimirova became certified in diamond grading through the GIA. They then went on to graduate from the Jewelry Arts Institute for jewelry making in 2015. In 2016 they completed both the jewelry making course and the stone setting course from Studio Jewelers LTD.

After having friends purchase their self-designed jewelry, Sandimirova decided to start their own business. They launched Automic Gold in 2017.

Sandimirova uses their brand and their platform to create inclusivity for people of every gender, size, and skin tone, often using models who are plus-size, non-cis, non-white, or disabled. Automic Gold’s “radically ethical” mission includes a refusal to photoshop their models, transparent business practices, sustainable sourcing of their materials, and refusing to take investments.

Quotes
"“I really care about inclusivity because this is how I see the world. As a genderqueer person, I never shop by the specific gender. I always shop with both genders. So, for me it’s just normal, it's an extension of who I am. So, when I created this brand, it’s not for men, it’s not for women, it’s just for everyone. You don’t need a category. And the same for sizes. For me, it was never the question, what sizes to make. People come in all sizes, so make jewelry in all sizes. And of course, in hiring and giving representation to people of color: This is just the world around me, why not show it? I think it should be the norm.”"

Links

 * Website
 * Instagram
 * TikTok