About Standing O

Standing O is an independent handmade jewelry brand based in Toronto, Canada, creating gold filled jewelry, freshwater pearl pieces and colorful gemstone designs for women who don't dress like the same person every day.

I have never understood the idea that a woman needs to choose one aesthetic and stick to it. Some days you want a simple gold chain and a white shirt. Some days you want pearls. Some days you want color, texture and a necklace that does most of the talking for you.

Standing O was built for all of those days.

You don't have to pick a lane

Standing O has always lived somewhere between classic and unexpected. Gold filled chains sit beside freshwater pearls, baroque shapes meet polished gold, and gemstones such as garnet, citrine, jade, amethyst and lapis lazuli are mixed with African trade beads, glass and other materials chosen for their color, texture and character.

I like jewelry that feels collected rather than overly coordinated. Pieces with irregularity, personality and a little surprise to them. Sometimes the combinations are unexpected, and those are usually the ones I love most.

The same goes for the woman wearing them. She can be polished and sophisticated one day and colorful and playful the next. Minimal one day, maximal the next.

Standing O was never meant to define one version of her. It was made for all of them.

Explore all Standing O jewelry.

Why Standing O

The name Standing O started with my initials, S.O., for Sofija Obradovic, but there is a family story behind it too.

In my family, the women have names that begin with the letter S. My mother started that tradition because she believed it brought good luck, so when I was naming the brand, she told me to keep the S.

Standing O brought both ideas together: my initials and the idea of a standing ovation.

I wanted to make jewelry that wasn't worn once and forgotten, but pieces you would want to wear again and again, the ones that earn a permanent place in your rotation.

That is Standing O.

I don't believe in junk jewelry

If I'm going to spend money on something, I want it to last. That philosophy is one of the reasons I started working with gold filled materials.

Gold filled jewelry has a substantial layer of genuine gold mechanically bonded to a base metal core. It contains significantly more gold than standard gold-plated jewelry and is designed to withstand regular wear much better than a thin plated finish, while remaining considerably more accessible than solid gold.

For me, it sits in the sweet spot: real gold at the surface, durability for regular wear and a price that makes sense for jewelry you actually want to live in.

I also didn't want Standing O to contribute to the cycle of disposable fashion. The amount of product created to be worn briefly and replaced has always bothered me. I would rather make fewer, better pieces using materials chosen for longevity than create jewelry designed to become next season's waste.

Gold filled isn't impact-free, but its durability supports the kind of jewelry I want Standing O to make: pieces intended to stay in your rotation for years rather than be quickly replaced.

That standard doesn't disappear when color enters the picture. A playful necklace should still be beautifully made, and a strand of gemstones deserves the same attention as a gold chain. Color isn't a lower tier of jewelry at Standing O. It's simply another way of wearing it.

Learn more about gold filled jewelry in the Standing O FAQ.

Made with materials worth wearing

Standing O pieces are handmade using materials chosen for quality, longevity and character.

Depending on the design, that can include 12kt and 14kt gold filled chain and findings, genuine gemstones, freshwater and baroque pearls, African trade beads, glass, ceramic, brass, leather, paracord and other specialty materials.

Pearls run through both sides of the collection and have become one of Standing O's signature materials. They might anchor a classic gold filled necklace in one piece and sit beside bold color or unexpected beads in another.

Organic forms show up throughout the collection too, from irregular pearls and natural stone shapes to spirals and sculptural details. I have never been interested in making everything look perfectly uniform or machine-made.

The exact materials used in every design are listed on its individual product page, so you always know what you're buying.

Shop Gold Filled Essentials.

Made by hand in Toronto

Standing O was founded by designer Sofija Obradovic and is made from a private studio in Toronto's Ossington neighborhood.

Every piece is handmade to order rather than mass-produced in large quantities.

Making this way allows me to be more intentional about what gets produced and helps avoid creating excess inventory simply to fill shelves. It also keeps the connection between the person designing the piece and the person eventually wearing it a little closer.

There are hands behind what you're wearing.

Mine.

Shop handmade necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

Made in Toronto. Worn everywhere.

Standing O may be made in Toronto, but the pieces are worn much farther from home.

Customers across Canada and around the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Austria and Australia, have made Standing O part of their own wardrobes.

There is still something surreal about making a necklace at my worktable in Toronto and knowing that not long after, someone may be wearing it to dinner in London, packing it for a trip through Europe or putting it on for an ordinary Tuesday somewhere I've never been.

That is still one of my favorite parts of doing this.

Standing O ships throughout Canada and internationally. View shipping information and available destinations.

As seen in

Standing O has been featured in ELLE Canada, ELLE Russia, The Kit, CTV's The Social, The Marilyn Denis Show, Canadian Living and Avantages, part of the Marie Claire Group in France.

Jewelry for every version of you

I don't think jewelry needs to wait for an occasion.

The best pieces become part of your life. They get worn with denim, packed for vacations, layered differently over time, dressed up for dinner and thrown back on the next morning.

Sometimes they make the outfit. Sometimes they simply make you feel a little more like yourself.

Classic or colorful. Quiet or bold. Sophisticated or playful.

You don't have to choose.

Standing O is jewelry for every mood, every version of you and every ordinary day that deserves something a little less ordinary.

Explore the Standing O collection.