What constitutes “making it” in New York City? Is it effusive magazine coverage, top-shelf clientele, 50,000-plus Instagram followers, or a spot on The New York Times’ “30 Under 30” list? For Nepal native Arpana Rayamajhi, accolades from the industry, while certainly welcome, can obscure the difficult realities of being an artist in a city full of artists. After nearly a decade as a New Yorker, however, Arpana has finally hit her stride as a designer and entrepreneur and is ready to admit how much real work she puts into it.

Why did you start making jewelry?
When I was in school, shopping in New York was tough. Not only did I have very little money, but everything I could afford—even the most beautiful things—seemed mass-produced and anonymous. Making jewelry came out of ...