Olympic Metal: Melissa Humana-Paredes On Her Soulful Jewelry Collab

Just in time for the holiday season, True Curated Designs has unveiled its stunning limited-edition collection, Sol, created in collaboration with Olympic Beach Volleyball Silver Medalist Melissa Humana-Paredes. This radiant collection is inspired by Melissa’s roots, the warmth of the beach, and a powerful nod to inner and outer strength. With pieces designed to embody sunshine, soul, and resilience, Sol is the perfect blend of elegance and inspiration. We sat down with Melissa and True founder Tori Dundas to discuss the story behind this dazzling collection and how her journey as an athlete shaped her connection with True. —Noa Nichol

Melissa, what inspired you to create the Sol collection, and how does it reflect both your personal journey and your connection to beach volleyball? 

For as long as I can remember, my mom adorned herself in jewelry. She never left the house without putting something on – she was so playful and graceful with how she styled her pieces. Over the years, she passed her pieces down to me, so I often view jewelry as family heirlooms. (The necklace I wore at the Tokyo Olympics was hers, after I lost my favourite one of mine in the sand a month before the Olympics, so she gave me hers for that special moment). 

From an early age, she taught me to invest in quality jewelry, and since I’m a fairly low-maintenance girly, I needed pieces I could shower, sweat and live my life in. So I tend to look for pieces that I never have to take off. And that’s why I was so honoured when Tori from True presented the idea to design and collaborate on a collection for you all, because I knew True prioritizes quality, durability and longevity. This was one of the coolest & most creative projects I’ve been a part of. Together, we made a conscious effort to have this line be rooted in sustainability and the ethereal nature of the Earth, while being timeless and chic. 

The name Sol carries so much meaning—sunshine, the beach, and soul. Can you share how these elements are woven into the design and spirit of the collection? 

The name Sol was inspired by my profession as a beach volleyball athlete chasing the sun and my Chilean heritage (“sol” meaning sun in Spanish). Since I spend most of my time on beaches, playing under the sun it only made sense to create a collection that paid homage to the beauty of nature. Over the years, I’ve become increasingly aware of our impact on this Earth and have aligned myself with sustainability as much as possible so I wanted that message shown through the pieces. In planning actual designs, I [Melissa] really wanted something ethereal and have been drawn to the symbolism of the spiral lately – the meaning of circularity, how we’re all connected, to each other and the Earth. The designs woven through the entire collection came together to bring the vision to life! 

You’ll notice these in our feature items: the Sol Pendant represents light shown by the citrine stone, coupled with themes of circularity and evolution represented by the eternal spirals. The Sol Pearl Station Necklace reminds us of beauty formed through resilience in nature.

Melissa, you wore True jewelry during the Olympics. As an elite athlete, what drew you to the brand, and how did that connection evolve into this collaboration?

I love to support local brands and local founders, and have been a fan of True designs for years. My first piece was the Valiant coin pendant, which I’ve basically never taken off! I’ve always aligned with her ethos of quality, style and sustainability and since my first piece, I was impressed by the quality and comfort, though admittedly I loved it for the design and style. These pieces are made to be worn everyday – as you’ll hear from most people who wear True jewelry, and the rest is history! 

During the Olympics, I’m particular about the energy I want to exude and surround myself in. I usually wear symbolic pendants through competitions – something that gives me that vote of confidence, that extra edge or bit of magic. The Valiant coin I wore this year in Paris has a lion etched into it. In university, I played for the York University Lions varsity team so to me it was of course a symbol of strength, as lions usually are, but also a testament to how far I’ve come and grown since my university days. Jewelry to me is how I choose to express myself through my strength, my femininity and my creativity and can also be a nod to the past, a way to hold onto memories.

Tori, how does working with Melissa and her focus on strength—both internal and external—align with True’s vision and craftsmanship?

Melissa is the epitome of our brand message – a life well lived, style, sweat and all. She is a champion – literally, and figuratively. I was initially drawn to her as brand alignment in the physical strength aspect, as I saw her training in and wearing the jewelry all the time. Once we connected and got to know one another better, I understood the alignment was so much more! Her journey of internal strength, growth, perseverance is incredible. We all have a story to share about this, and jewelry is often a way to commemorate these life intersections. This is why I love jewelry – the designs can have so much meaning. I love seeing people choose True as a symbol of their own personal growth and reminding them to continue on that journey. A cheeky nod to growth, of course, was our addition of pearls to the collection – they’re grown through time and resilience in the water (and we both love the beach, of course!) and have formed to be something so much more beautiful than a grain of sand! Such a beautiful story and wearable reminder. 

With the holidays around the corner, how do you hope Sol resonates with customers as both a meaningful gift and a symbol of empowerment?

The holidays are always a difficult time to be mindful of “consumerism”. First and foremost, we’re hoping that savvy buyers will pay more attention to the quality of their purchases, as well as the supply chain and product afterlife. With True, we like to think of our jewelry – because it’s all solid gold and natural gemstones – as a wearable investment. These are pieces you’ll have for life! And maybe pass down through generations. So not only is it quality for you to wear and keep up with your life, but it also helps to share the message that fast fashion is destroying the environment. Helping share that message is important, and as mentioned above, we hope the symbolism of strength and beauty resonates.