SUNY New Paltz class of 2000
Veleta Vancza, Professional Lecturer of Fashion Technology at Marist College, has been a working artist for almost 30 years. Beginning as an art/studio jeweler, Vancza has been working on larger scales including wall pieces and sculptures as well as 3D rendering software.
Currently, Vancza has been researching and experimenting with vitreous enamel (also known as porcelain enamel) as an adhesive as well as different uses for phosphorescent enamels, which are glowing coats of color.
MINE is a luxury nail lacquer formulated by Vancza, and as described on their website, “she has created a hand formulated, luxuriant and unparalleled product melding nail polish with fine art.” As MINE is handmade, each color is made with specific pigmentation and poured into “handcrafted Austrian crystal bottles.”
In an interview from 2014 with Missy Graff, also a New Paltz
“The lacquer itself is hand mixed and hand poured into a hand-cut Austrian crystal bottle. The insert cards are letterpress, and each box is hand wrapped and finished with a wax seal,” Vancza said. “Watching someone unwrap a new box of MINE is truly a delight. MINE is the first nail lacquer sold in a crystal bottle, and it’s quite a sight to see someone get excited when they lay eyes on their very own bottle. It feels special because it is special.”
The staple of this creation, however, is that five toxic ingredients usually found in other nail polishes, including formaldehyde and camphor, are nonexistent in this artistic lacquer.
The patent, US9730868, is described by Google Patents as “a nail polish composition including a suspension base and a pigment, wherein at least 80 percent of the pigment is comprised of a noble metal, is provided.”
In Graff’s interview, Vancza also explains her journey through her research in the development of MINE.
“While I was in graduate school at Cranbrook, I had the time to develop a process where vitreous enameled elements could be adhered without the use of a weld or solder joint. I studied the chemistry of the enamel and found this process very stimulating,” Vancza said. “After graduate school, I spent some time working on developing phosphorescent vitreous enamel. It wasn’t until I had a residency at Kohler in 2006 that I was able to fully realize the high-gloss phosphorescent enamel that I had sought to produce.”
Although MINE Luxurious Nail Lacquer is highly priced, customers are receiving a product of the highest quality, with years of research behind its beautiful glimmer. Vancza also focuses on a gender neutral expression of beauty, shown by MINE packaging.
As Vancza says, “It is a luxurious way to accessorize your fingertips.”
