I have a broad collection of jewelry, but my favorites have always been the ones with stories. These are the handcrafted pieces I've collected from travel. The first one I bought was from Hong Kong in 2014. I stumbled upon a small boho shop while walking around Tsim Sha Tsui. The owner was this cheerful woman in her mid-30's who proudly showed me her works—knitted bags and clothes, and an assortment of other things. There was this particular pair of earrings with very interesting details that caught my eye and as soon as she noticed she said, "I made those myself!"
Another memorable pair I bought was from a trip in Praha. The beautiful Charles Bridge is lined with stalls selling souvenirs—snow globes, caricatures, etc. And of course I was drawn to the ones selling jewelry. The man behind one of the stalls said, "oh, my sister made these herself!" I looked at them closely and I noticed they looked very rough. Wires sticking out, the silver around the resin was uneven. I loved it. I loved the imperfections and I especially loved hearing the same pride in his voice as that woman in Hong Kong had in hers.
And this is why I fell for sea glass jewelry and started Island Jewels. Sea glass comes from pieces of glass that have been tumbled around in the sea for decades, until their edges are smooth and they get this beautiful frosted texture. If only each sea glass can speak of its journey! Whenever I see one I wonder, "where did you come from?" And I am just so excited to read about its possible origins. Authentic sea glass may have an irregular shape or surface and I think that adds to its charm—like scars and marks on our bodies that we've earned over the years and makes us who we are. Island Jewels pieces were also carefully handcrafted by local artisans and these are their "obras maestras." So whenever you see Island Jewels pieces, I hope they also make you think of stories. I hope they remind you of the hands that worked on them. And when you wear one, I hope you know no one else owns anything like yours.
Comments