Valentyna Zhytnyk

Valentyna Zhytnyk (Ukrainian: Валентина Житник; born October 1, 1992) is a Ukrainian jewelry designer and gemologist based in the United States. She is known for her work at the American jewelry house Tiffany & Co. and for founding her own brand L’Impératrice. A former top model and beauty pageant titleholder,^[2] she is known in the fashion industry as a semi-finalist in Miss Earth 2010.

Zhytnyk was born in Kerch, Crimea, Ukraine. She later moved to Kharkiv with her family, where she completed her secondary education and graduated with honors from a ballet school. In 2010 she signed her first international modeling contract with largest modeling agency in Asia ESEE models and went to China.^[3] In 2014, she signed a contract with the international modeling agency Major Models and relocated to the United States.^[3][4][5]

Alongside her modeling career, Valentyna pursued higher education in Ukraine, earning degrees in journalism and international law. She also received certification as a precious gemstones and diamonds expert from the State Gemological Center of Ukraine(SGCU), which operates under the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine.^[6]

Valentyna Zhytnyk is an Alumni of the Gemological Institute of America, having studied at both the New York City and Carlsbad, California campuses. She holds multiple certifications, including Diamond Grading, Colored Stone Grading, Gemology, Jewelry CAD Design, Jewelry Manufacturing Arts, and the Graduate Jeweler diploma.

Zhytnyk received US government scholarship to study technologies in jewelry production & manufacturing at GIA, course graduate Jeweler.^[7] In 2023, she joined Tiffany & Co. as a gemologist in New York.^[8]

Valentyna Zhytnyk began her modeling career in 2000, winning the Mini-Miss Kharkiv title at a young age.^[9] While attending university, she was crowned Miss Student Ukraine 2010 and later that year won the title of Queen of Slobozhanshchyna.^[10] She went on to represent Ukraine at the Miss Earth 2010 pageant, where she reached the semi-finals among 84 international contestants.^[11][12][13] Zhytnyk gained further recognition in fashion industry for work with Victoria’s Secret in New York.^[6]

She is recognized as one of the first Ukrainian models to secure major international modeling contracts. Zhytnyk signed with agencies including Model Management, ESEE Models, Donna Models, and Flash Models, and worked extensively across fashion capitals such as New York, Milan, Germany, Shanghai, and Turkey.^[6]

From 2010 to 2011, Zhytnyk served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.^[6]