ABOUT DASANNI SPEAKS
Born from love.
Built by hand.
Driven by purpose.
I’m Aspen, the woman, artist, and story behind Dasanni Speaks Wire Jewelry.
Proudly Black & Creek Native owned.
I originally wanted a meaningful piece of jewelry—something to symbolize love and commitment. My search for someone to create it led me to learn wire wrapping myself. What started as something I wanted to wear became a craft that helped me discover my creativity, my purpose, and a voice of my own.
Come into my storySelf-taught.
Made with intention.
I started creating nose cuffs in 2020. Back then, I wasn’t seeing anyone wearing them, and I couldn’t find tutorials for the designs I imagined. I taught myself through trial and error, developing my own designs and figuring out how to bring them to life, one piece of wire at a time.
The pierced styles came later, because people kept asking for them. I’ve always loved piercings and have had several of my own over the years, so expanding into pierced jewelry felt personal to me, too.
Before offering pierced styles, I spent six months researching materials and what makes jewelry suitable for piercings. I also brought my jewelry to a local piercer I’d known for years—the same person who used to change my own piercing jewelry—to review my work and give me feedback. There was a lot of learning behind that next step, and I took it seriously.
Materials matter.
My own severe allergic reactions to nickel-based jewelry made researching materials personal. In 2001, I was one of the first designers offering gold-filled nose jewelry and educating customers about the material. I studied the metals I worked with and sought out suppliers whose practices aligned with my values. Understanding my materials—and helping customers understand what they were choosing—has been part of my work from the beginning.
Small jewelry. Big confidence.
When I tell people I handcraft jewelry and specialize in nose rings, I sometimes get a little chuckle and a “That’s cute.” Then they see my designs. I’ve spent years developing my own vision for what such a small piece of jewelry can become, and I’m proud of the originality I bring to my work.
My biggest flex is that some of my earliest customers—from 2020—still have and wear their jewelry today. That lasting wear speaks to the care, knowledge, and experience that go into my work. Hearing that a piece I made all those years ago is still someone’s favorite means everything to me.
Customers have told me that a little hoop, cuff, or stud helps them feel beautiful and more confident. Something I imagined and shaped with my hands becomes part of how someone expresses herself. That connection is one of my favorite parts of creating.
Growing with purpose.
In November 2020, the business took off. Dasanni Speaks began going viral as influencers like @iamkaylabeauty, @theeglamnaija, and @thegardenofeden shared my jewelry with their audiences. I received more than 350 orders in just three days. The demand grew so quickly that I left my job to focus on my jewelry full time, and the business kept growing from there
That growth also allowed me to expand the giving that was already part of my mission. I used part of every purchase to help fund therapy grants in my mother’s name. During COVID, those grants helped people return to therapy after their insurance coverage had lapsed.
Through Dasanni Speaks, I was able to give back more than $20,000 and even give someone a car. Those moments showed me what my business could make possible. My customers were helping me honor my mother’s memory while making a real difference in other people’s lives.
In the news.
Watch the 10/11 Now segment Read the Channel 8 story
This section discusses domestic abuse, stalking, physical violence, homelessness, and mental health struggles.
Skip this sectionFinding my way back.
If you’ve wondered why I disappeared and why Dasanni Speaks closed so abruptly, this part of my story is for you. I want to explain what happened and what I was living through at the time. I know my absence left questions, and I want to answer them honestly.
What I share here is true to my experience, to the best of my knowledge and memory. My intention is to help someone else feel understood and to show what real life can look like behind the scenes. I believe that sharing what I survived can help the next person who is trying to find their way through something similar.
I wish no harm on anyone who has hurt me. My focus in this new chapter is on healing, rebuilding, creating, and the good I can still do.
If you’re experiencing anything like this, or still living with the aftermath, please know that you are not alone. You deserve safety, support, and time to heal.
Behind closed doors.
Dasanni Speaks was growing, and a million-dollar business felt within reach. I thought I had finally built enough stability to make a new start. At the same time, I was living in an emotionally and mentally abusive marriage that most people knew nothing about.
When I found the strength to leave, I had no idea how long the fight for safety would continue. I moved 15 times in one year, trying to find somewhere I could finally settle and begin rebuilding my life.
Survival came first.
After finally settling in another state, I was stalked and physically abused by another man for six weeks. I survived a violent attack that left me stabbed and with a serious injury to my hand.
I had to learn to use my hand again—the hand I depended on to make every piece of jewelry. My attacker also stole my phone, leaving me locked out of the accounts I needed to run my business. Dasanni Speaks closed abruptly while I was trying to survive.
More hardship followed. My mental health declined, and I spent over a year homeless in an unfamiliar city and state, without a support system nearby. I was unable to work and still trying to find safety. I needed time to heal while trying to hold the rest of my life together.
The courage to come back.
For a long time, I was afraid to come back. More than 250 orders were left unfulfilled when I had to close, and I didn’t know how I was going to make things right. I carried the weight of that while trying to rebuild my life. Those customers were never forgotten, and working toward making things right is part of rebuilding Dasanni Speaks..
Eventually, I realized how much I missed creating—and the people I had connected with through my jewelry. The conversations I shared with my customers had made Dasanni Speaks deeply personal to me. Making jewelry gave me joy, and I wanted to feel that again. I was still scared, but I knew I wanted to return to something that helped me feel like myself.
Since returning, I’ve been flooded with so much love. I found messages from people who had been checking on me throughout my absence, wondering if I was okay. Some customers whose orders were still unfulfilled reached out simply to say they were relieved to know I was alive. Their kindness meant more than I can explain. I had been so afraid to come back, and here were people welcoming me with love.
I’m working on Dasanni Speaks full time, and rebuilding has come with real hardships—from having my lights shut off to my car being repossessed. It’s been difficult, but I’m still here, creating and moving forward. Having loyal customers who continue to believe in me and support my work makes a difference, especially on the harder days.
“Rebuilding is easier when you know what you’re capable of—and have people who still believe in you.”
Still healing. Still creating.
Some days, I still struggle with depression, anxiety, and fear connected to what I’ve survived. I’m still healing, and some days take more effort than others. Creating again helps me reconnect with a part of myself I missed. Every order reminds me of who I am: an artist, a creator, and someone who still has so much to give.
I’m grateful to be back, and I’m rebuilding Dasanni Speaks with an even deeper purpose. I want to keep creating jewelry that helps people feel beautiful and confident, honor my mother’s memory, and grow this business so I can help others again. Thank you for reading my story, supporting my art, and being part of what comes next.
The woman behind the name.
Michelle “Dasanni”
Dasanni Speaks is named in honor of my mother, Michelle “Dasanni.” My mom lost her fight with her mental health, and that loss is why mental health awareness is so deeply personal to me—especially within minority communities. Carrying her name forward and helping others feel less alone are part of how I honor her memory.
If you’re struggling, please know that you don’t have to go through it alone. You’re welcome to reach out and share what you’re going through, even if you don’t know how to put it into words. I want this community to be a place where you feel safe, heard, and supported without judgment. You matter, and you’re welcome here.
“Through my jewelry, her story never has to end.”
Find Mental Health SupportA piece of jewelry.
A purpose that reaches further.
“I am a survivor using proceeds to help others survive.”
14,000+
Orders shipped worldwide
$20,000+
Donated to help others
45,000+
Pieces handcrafted
Meet the handwork.
THE GLAMOUR COLLECTION
Empress
REAL CUSTOMER WEARING A NON-PIERCED NOSE CUFF
Breathe
A CLOSER LOOK
The art is in the details.
Wire wrapped by hand, with crystals that catch the light.
A little more to know.
Do I need a piercing?
I offer both non-pierced nose cuffs and jewelry for pierced noses. Each product listing explains whether a piercing is needed and includes the available sizes and, for pierced styles, gauges.
What materials do you use?
Materials are one of the things I’m proudest of. My own severe allergic reactions to nickel-based jewelry led me to study metals and research suppliers carefully. That knowledge shapes what I create, and I want you to understand what you’re wearing, too.Depending on the design, I work with 14KT gold filled, rose gold filled, .925 sterling silver, copper, crystals, and natural stones. Each product description lists the materials used in that piece.My upcoming journal will share more of what I’ve learned about metals, jewelry care, and the work behind my designs, alongside personal stories and featured pieces. I want this website to help you make informed choices and feel confident in the jewelry you choose.
Jewelry for people who notice
the difference.
Thank you for seeing the person, the story, and the purpose behind the piece.