Hellbent Silversmith’s owner, Ani Gabrielson, is many beautiful things: A proud immigrant. The daughter of a Venezuelan mother and Colombian father, who was raised in Venezuela before moving to the States when she was four. An artist. A proud motorcycle enthusiast. An adventurer. A natural relationship builder. And, of course, a small business owner doing the Small Business Dance that is a mixture of pushing personal boundaries and pure hustle.
The opening of a brick-and-mortar—one dedicated to such an artistic endeavor, following the sad closure of the neighboring Dark Art Emporium—in an area intended to be devoted to artists is inspiring. Ani is a stellar, not-so-subtly strong example of resilience and persistence for people hesitant to take risks. And for those fearful that neighborhoods are becoming increasingly empty, she offers a space that acts as both a shop for her jewelry and a silversmithing classroom for the community.
“I had a terrible job before this: wore a million hats, felt so undervalued,” Ani said. “That pushed me to say: ‘I’d rather be broke and free than stuck in something soul-crushing.’ If it doesn’t work? I’ll find a way to eat and pay rent. But if it does work? That’s the dream. That’s what Hellbent Silversmith is all about.”
Proudly an immigrant, Ani’s bounced from Venezuela to Utah to California—defining her eventual career in silver.
Ani’s parents opted to settle in the great agricultural state of Utah—a far cry from the humid tropical climate of Venezuela. At 15, Ani’s then-boyfriend had a grandfather who was a silversmith, complete with an entire basement set for the art of turning silver into wearable art.
“We made a ring one time,” Ani said. “And that was it: that was my very first taste and I was hooked. My friend then opened up a shop in Utah, and I worked with him for about six months. Then I started doing it from home for a while. Just little bits here and there. When the pandemic hit, things took off. I started posting photos on Instagram, and I didn’t think anyone would care, but it started making more than my day job. So I quit and started silversmithing full time.”
That direct investment into herself led her to move to Koreatown in L.A. in 2021, but the hectic nature of the (rightfully) popular neighborhood led her to exploring other areas—specifically Long Beach. Her love of Long Beach and motorcycles led her to Off Track over in Zaferia, where she began doing silversmithing workshops.
“Off Track was connected to Good Time, which I visited often. That’s where I met the owner, Sy, who would allow me to teach workshops out of his motorcycle space,” Ani said. “And they started selling out. That helped fund the install for this shop.”
With a self-empowering tenacity to ‘keep trying against all odds,’ Hellbent Silversmith was born.
Two-and-a-half years ago, Ani opened Hellbent Silversmith in the East Village Arts District in DTLB. It was “cobbled together with no money,” in her words: An ex built the communal table she hosts workshops at while her and her friends built the rest. Couches were found on the Facebook Marketplace. And the name? It came from riding motorcycles and her first Instagram handle, @hellbentani.
“I kind of took it as just that tenacity to keep trying something against all odds,” Ani said. “And every day, I’m just so grateful. Anytime someone walks through the door or books a workshop, I’m like, ‘Wait, you’re here for the business? Our little business?'”
Initially wanting to focus on jewelry, her business instinct told her classes would provide consistency in the ups-and-downs of small business retail. Once she had the space set up, classes began. This allowed her to not only build relationships with potential customers, but show off her own work as well as the work of the talented silversmiths that help her teach the workshops.
That work is beautifully distinct: Using silver brought in strips from New Mexico, she melds them into anything from a basic ring done in 40 minutes to more complex, cast shapes—some with stones, some without—that take hours upon hours.
For Ani, of course a small business is hard—but she encourages everyone even remotely interested in taking it on.
“Yes, it’s hard,” Ani said, laughing. “And it’s a hustle. But freedom and fulfillment? Worth it.”
Hellbent Silversmith marks a happy storefront in terms of the sentiments surrounding the East Village. 3 Women, the boutique fashion store in the very space Hellbent sits in, shuttered in 2023. Pop Java? The same year. Pawsitively Pup Salon? Closed in 2021. Snake Oil Provisions? Moved to DTLA on Figueroa. Burger Daddy? Shuttered in 2021. Padre and Mezcalero? A disaster of a closure last year. LB Taco Co.? Closed in 2024—but thankfully, Madres Brunch took its spot. Wine District? Switched owners. And, of course, the aforementioned closure of Dark Art Emporium.
This isn’t to harp on the lack of business success for the neighborhood but to actually showcase it is still very much viable—and is held up by business owners like Ani.
“I love my neighborhood,” Ani said. “Sure, we have issues like any other downtown. But honestly, it is just people trying to just exist. So I encourage people to stop by. Sign up for a workshop. Or just explore. Downtown Long Beach is worthy of it.”
Hellbent Silversmith is located at 433 E. 1st St. To sign up for a silversmithing workshop, click here.
