Learning more about the dynamics at play among some of the sibling duos in our midst, we discovered that no matter how they arrived at their work together, whether a generational business or an unexpected adventure, their paths towards working together are rooted in a sense of magic and fate. Another common thread among the siblings featured here, which includes Anna and Rachel Aschendorf of Gemella, Madison and Tyler Maruisi of Loraida, Jessica and Michael Busiashvili of OX, and Kim and Nicole Carosella of Sorellina, is that they find the greatest joy in their work is simply being together.

All of these siblings have been in business together from the start. While the duos from Gemella, Loraida and OX have a background in jewelry, Kim and Nicole of Sorellina took a more circuitous route. Nicole had always loved jewelry as a child, frequently playing dress up with her mother’s jewelry. Creativity was a perpetual driving force in her life, and after becoming an artist, she discovered that the medium that most aligned with her worldview and her style was jewelry design. “Once I started at FIT and began wax carving, I realized that my great love from childhood could also be the medium for my art,” she explains. Her sister Kim, a natural born leader with a penchant for organization, saw Nicole’s school projects and was confident that they could make something special out of her talents. They named the brand Sorellina, which means smaller or younger sister in Italian, to pay homage to the partnership that defines the foundation of their business.

Representing the third generation of a family of jewelers, Anna and Rachel from Gemella say that jewelry design is part of their DNA. Given that they were surrounded by exquisite gemstones and luxury pieces throughout their lives, becoming part of the family business felt more like destiny than a choice. They soon realized the irony in not having access to “wearable” jewelry of their own. “That’s how Gemella was born,” they say. “We wanted to create pieces that felt approachable and versatile, something that could elevate everyday outfits or add elegance for special occasions.”  In addition to influences of their grandparents’ original designs, the two share an office with their aunt and their mother, who they say are incredibly talented teachers from whom they draw endless inspiration.

Madison and Tyler’s connection to the business also stems from their aunt and their mother, who passed their own business, Loraida, down to the twins. “What began as a dream shared by our mother and aunt has now blossomed into a thriving jewelry brand,” Tyler says. “It’s more than a business; it’s a reflection of their creativity, values and unyielding belief in the power of family.” Growing up they looked at the family workshop as a “wonderland,” and beyond gaining an appreciation for the shimmer of gold and the sparkle of gemstones, their aunt and mom instilled in them the power jewelry has to convey emotions, create narratives, celebrate milestones and honor heritage.

Jessica and Michael’s grandmother owned one of the first antique jewelry stores in Los Angeles, and the overall impression of seeing her grandmother in that world had an indelible effect on a young Jessica, “It was like some kind of divinity she espoused, a kind of magical realism,” she explains. Hanging on her grandmother’s every word, Jessica felt she could get closer to truth and beauty. After attending art school in the U.K., Jessica further advanced her own creativity, building her skills and techniques. This was also a time of further exploration into the concept of beauty, and upon her return to the family business in LA, she spent her free time experimenting with designs in an effort to add something truly original to a world already filled with beauty. It was upon seeing her concept for the brand’s now proprietary Ourglass design that her much more analytical brother Michael urged her to join forces and launch the OX brand.

Though they focus on different areas of the day-to-day business, the sets of twins at both Gemella and Loraida are both involved in the design process and work together on the brands’ creative output. Tyler credits their closeness throughout their lives with the harmony in their work, noting it enhances the final product, “Designing together feels like an unspoken dance; one of us sketches a concept and the other refines it,” she says. “We challenge each other to push boundaries, blending bold creativity with thoughtful precision. These moments of collaboration are magic, where our individual strengths combine to create something neither of us could achieve alone.”

At Gemella, Anna leads social media, web development and client relations, and Rachel oversees production, accounting and behind the scenes logistics. However, when it comes to producing jewelry, “We design every piece together,” the twins tell us. “Being a small but powerful team means we’re both involved in almost everything, from big-picture strategy to day-to-day tasks.”

At both OX and Sorellina, the siblings’ complementary skills contribute to the trajectory of the brand, with each able to lean into their area of expertise while sharing the same ultimate goal. “Kim runs the business and is the leader,” Nicole says. “She is the driving force behind the company, and I do all of the designing.” Sharing how naturally they adopted these roles, Nicole explains, “Kim is more of an introvert, and I am more of an extrovert. My love of connecting with people and Kim’s love of strategy and organization is present every day in our business; it is why she leads us, and I do all of the trunk shows.”

A similar dynamic is at play at OX, with Jessica handling all of the elements of design and production, and Michael focusing on all of the logistics. Crossover occurs, however, when it comes to brand building and storytelling. “Together, we spend hours upon hours landscaping our visions, and identifying crucial next steps,” Jessica says, telling us that she views the brand as a mix of their personalities. “I have a tendency to have zero restraints, while Michael is more restrained; we personify harmony in duality quite literally.”

Far from sibling rivalry, all of the brands we interviewed share that their biggest challenge about working together lies in separating work from their personal lives. “We are always in work mode when we are together,” Kim says. “We had to learn to make separate sister time.”

Noting that there is “nowhere to hide” from the person with whom she is closest in the world, Jessica says, “There is often little separation between our conversations and how we oscillate from being super OX to super sibling to super supporter.” Michael agrees. “The challenge of working together is that all aspects of our lives bleed together. I sometimes need to remind myself that not all conversations and time together has to be business related.”

Anna and Rachel also struggle with balancing motherhood with their work, yet they understand that there are times when “mom mode” has to take priority, “We’ve learned to be flexible and supportive of each other to make it all work.”

The close bonds these siblings formed throughout their lives is paramount to their businesses, with trust cited as a defining characteristic of their work together, “There is no one that I trust more than my sister,” Nicole declares. “We are incredibly honest with each other and laugh a lot. I always say that even on the worst days I am still surrounded by diamonds and hanging with my favorite person, so nothing ever seems that bad.”

Reiterating that sentiment, Anna tells us, “Working with your twin sister is such a unique blessing. The level of trust we have is unparalleled; if one of us isn’t there to make a decision, we’re completely confident in each other’s choices. It makes everything feel effortless.”

Trust and shared passions are critical to resolving the rare conflicts that arise among these siblings. And when there are disputes, they simply face them head on, have a discussion and clear the air quickly. “We talk, a lot,” Michael says of the way he and his sister approach differences. “If there is a conflict or unspoken tension, we will talk through it to the point there is nothing more to talk about. Usually within 24 hours we’ve set aside our differences, ending with us both laughing at ourselves.”

Asked how she resolves conflict with her sister, Nicole says simply, “We work through it. We listen to the other person, take space when needed and try our best to address things immediately so they don’t build up.”

Anna and Rachel say the only disagreements they may have come up during the design process, and for that they have a built in referee, “If we’re truly divided, we turn to our mom for her expert opinion, and she has the final say.”

Madison and Tyler look at any potential conflicts as an opportunity to benefit the brand. “The challenge lies in balancing our roles as co-directors and sisters, knowing when to fight for an idea and when to let it go,” Tyler explains. “These moments of friction often lead to our most innovative breakthroughs.”

When asked what they love most about working with their sibling, all of the duos were effusive about what a privilege it is to work together, with Anna and Rachel responding, “Honestly, almost everything!” For Michael and Jessica, being in business together helps them each to be the best version of themselves, “Jess is a dreamer,” Michael says. “As a risk averse realist, I never challenged myself to dream the dream of having my own business, let alone a creative one. Supporting a creative’s vision and helping my sister achieve hers has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and has shown me that realists can be dreamers too.”

For Madison and Tyler, running their brand together transcends a mere business relationship, “It’s a way of honoring our past, strengthening our present bond, and building a future that continues to sparkle with creativity, family and love,” they say, explaining that they want to convey in their work those things that they themselves value the most. “Through each design, we hope to not only celebrate our journey, but also inspire others to cherish the legacies that shape their lives.”