In our series Portrait of a Muse, we spotlight women who wear Donna Dorée jewelry in their own personal way. Women with vision. With courage. With a story that goes beyond mere style.
Kristina Cueva is such woman.
We met through the SOSU Network in Den Bosch, a place where women gather to empower, inspire, and promote each other. What started as an encounter quickly grew into a special connection. Not only as entrepreneurs, but also in how we view beauty, visibility, and feminine strength.
Kristina Cueva and Wietske Doreleijers together on the SOSU stage during their powertalk
Later, we shared the SOSU stage during a joint PowerTalk. There, it became even clearer how strongly our visions align. Kristina operates from her powerful mantra 'Your Best You', while I invite women to embrace 'Be Your Own Muse'. Two phrases with the same essence: the power you seek is already within you. You don't have to create it, only recognize it and dare to wear it.
During a high fashion shoot I organized, where Kristina was present with her own brand IKA Beauty, she wore the Circe earrings with natural flair. As if they had always been hers. But her connection with Circe began even earlier...
The first encounter with the Circe statement earrings
“I love Circe,” Kristina says without hesitation. “I love statement earrings. In gold, this design immediately felt feminine, avant-garde, modern, yet elegant to me. Circe is fierce. And those curves… so feminine. What more do you want?”
It's precisely that combination of softness and strength that attracted her. Not just the shape, but also the energy of the design, an intuitive click you sometimes have with an object that feels more like a symbol than an accessory.
Kristina with her golden Circe earrings
The symbolism behind the Circe earrings > a story of entrepreneurship and intuition
The name Circe — referring to the mythical sorceress who chose her own path — turned out to perfectly match Kristina's entrepreneurial style.
“I always develop my products from a scientific basis,” she says. “But at the same time, I believe that as an entrepreneur, you have to dare to look beyond the status quo. Sometimes you optimize what is already there, but sometimes it calls for a different direction… for following a vision that has not yet been fully proven.”
For her, entrepreneurship is not a straight line, but a path that emerges through trust.
“It's daring to choose a path that isn't fully mapped out yet, but that you feel is right. Perhaps that's why the story of Circe resonates so much. It's about walking your own path, with reason, intuition, and heart as your compass.”
When she finally wore the earrings, her energy noticeably changed.
“I felt fierce. Not understated, but STATED elegance.”
Seeing the gold within yourself – the vision behind Donna Dorée and IKA Beauty
When Kristina talks about Donna Dorée, she starts with the name itself. “It's already in the name: the golden woman.” For her, the brand is not just about aesthetics, but about awareness. “We live our lives with great ambitions, but often try to temper them as if that's necessary. While it's actually an unnecessary struggle. We should own our own gold much more. Sometimes we are simply blind to our own gold.”
The Circe earrings became a kind of reminder for her. “Just like with IKA Beauty, I believe: the best version of ourselves is already there. We don't have to create it, only recognize it and no longer hide from it.”
Personal style and identity – why statement earrings are more than decoration
As a Third Culture Kid, Kristina has moved between different worlds all her life, something that is clearly reflected in her style.
“I don't feel bound to one aesthetic. I effortlessly combine different influences. I am often attracted to pieces that don't immediately fit into one box, that tell a story, that are layered.”
For her, accessories are never just additions.
“Accessories are an extension of who you are. They complete your look, but more importantly: they say something about your identity. Statement earrings like Circe are always more than decoration.”
Rituals, self-confidence and beauty – the power of small daily moments
Kristina often talks about small rituals, moments that give direction to your day.
“For me, a piece of jewelry can really be part of that ‘chicken soup for your soul’. We quickly call things material, but if something gives you a good feeling, self-confidence, then it goes beyond that.”
She almost never leaves the house without earrings.
“It's a small moment, but it sets the tone for how I feel that day.”
When the conversation turns to beauty, it almost becomes philosophical.
“Beauty is often seen as something external. But for me, ultimately, it's about how you feel inside. Beauty ideals change continuously, but energy — how someone feels, how someone approaches life — that's what you truly experience.”
For her, beauty lies in presence, in energy, and in your soul.
Kristina Cueva and Margot Visser during a joint photoshoot, looking at the beautiful image that has just been shot.
Femininity and entrepreneurship, balancing softness and strength
What does femininity mean for Kristina today?
“Being completely myself. With softness and strength. With connection and the audacity to take up space without justifying myself.” This balance also lives in her entrepreneurship. “I can think big, follow my vision, and be visible, even if that doesn't always fit within what is traditionally expected of a woman.” Jewelry like Circe reinforces that feeling. “They don't change you, but help you remember what is already there — your own strength, your own gold.”
Visibility and stage presence – women empowering each other
Visibility is not a given for Kristina, but it is a conviction. “At moments when I am visible, such as on a stage, I notice that those voices are sometimes still there. Those that say I shouldn't be there. But what I have to say is greater than those thoughts.”
For her, being visible is not a struggle, but a right.
“It's about finding a place where you are truly seen. Where your tribe is. Where your impact lands.”
What does she hope people feel when she is on stage?
“That they are seen. That they can dream big. And that we can cheer for each other instead of competing.”
Kristina on stage during the BLOOM Event
Minimalist style with impact. Simple, bold and elegant.
When she has to describe her style, she laughs. “Simple, bold, elegance? No idea, maybe you can fill that in.”
What is clear: simplicity forms her foundation.
“I love clean lines and calm silhouettes, but always with one pronounced element that gives character. It doesn't have to be loud everywhere, my energy often takes on that role naturally.” And that's true, because bubbly she is!
And that's where the jewelry comes in. “Where my clothes form the basis, jewelry brings out the personality. They are not loose additions, but an extension of my energy.”
A message to ambitious women, trust your intuition and vision.
Kristina sees her business as an extension of herself. “What you build must be in line with your aspirations, with the person you are becoming.”
To women balancing ambition, identity, and intuition, she offers this: “Dare to trust that. Let ambition push you forward, aspiration guide you, and intuition lead you in the choices you make.”
Even small symbols can help with this.
A piece of jewelry.
A ritual.
A reminder of who you already are.
Finally; Kristina Cueva as a modern muse
When she looks back on her journey, Kristina summarizes it in three powerful principles:
Fail fast, learn faster.
You can’t do it alone.
Believe it and you will see it.
And her connection with Circe?
“Circe is like me, rounded, layered, feminine, fierce, bold and light, going my own thing.”
Perhaps that's exactly what a muse does: walks her own path and inspires others to do the same.
And somewhere between 'Your Best You' and 'Be Your Own Muse' lies a truth we both share: the power you seek, you already carry within you. Sometimes you just need a reminder — a moment, a word, or a piece of jewelry — to see it again.