Mysterious Beauty

“Thinking outside the box” is what inspired me to design “inside the box.”

This beautifully hand made statement piece – set in sterling, is both classic and contemporary – wild, yet restrained.

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To me, this piece appears to have fallen directly from the heavens and is an exceptionally gorgeous piece of fanned black kyanite. The natural form of this piece resembles the wings of an angel. This edgy and highly irregular textural stone is formed in blade-like crystals that radiate from a common center. Kyanite is said to offer humans a gentle grounding energy and balances our power with tranquility – making this piece a perfect choice for everyday wear.

The gemstone beads used in this piece are Black Tourmaline – relied upon by ancient magicians and still today revered as a premier talisman of protection. This powerful stone guards against environmental pollutants and naturally grounds us.

As a designer, my inspiration has always been the mysterious beauty and endless variety of our vast and magical planet

This rare and beautiful treasure of jagged edges is a powerful reminder to me of the craggy coast and savage surf of one of my favorite spots on earth – and where I chanced upon this piece – Mendocino County, California. Mendocino is known for it’s stunningly wild beauty. It is surrounded by giant Redwoods, a rare Pygmy forest – often shrouded in mist – and the waves of the Pacific perpetually crash upon the coastline.

It is a rejuvenating retreat that has inspired many a piece for my 2015 collection.

The Infinite

In the Seventeenth Century, John Wallis, an English mathematician, sought to create an elegant symbol to represent the idea of infinity – the state of boundlessness – a state of no beginning and of no end.

He chose the simple figure eight, laid on its side, to represent the anything-but-simple concept of the unbounded path of the continuum – a timeless belief was in the completeness and permanence of our universe. It was woven throughout the fabric of many ancient and far-flung cultures, and it remains as powerful a concept in the human psyche today.

The figure eight is clearly visible in renditions of the ancient Celtic knot. On the Magician’s card of the Tarot, it is the symbol of infinite power and possibility. In ancient Egyptian culture, the Ouroburus is depicted as a snake biting its tail, symbolizing that endings and loss are essential to make way for new beginnings or the everlasting circle will cease to be. In ancient India and Tibet the symbol represents the paradoxical unity between male and female, in spite of the dualism of their individual natures. It reflects the balance of opposites: the male and the female, day and night, dark and light. And in Eastern cultures the symbol of infinity represents reincarnation – the possibility of eternal life.

I am drawn to incorporating the perfect balance and symmetry of the Infinity symbol into my designs – a mystical blend of the ancient – but with a flair for the modern. This symbol remains a powerful reminder that throughout life we will experience recurring cycles of loss and gain, sadness and joy, turbulence and peace. 

But the symbol’s most important meaning is that the power of love remains a force without end.

Old is New

There is nothing old that can’t be made new again.

I love creating one-of-a kind designs and this hand made unique piece fuses an old world Native American pendant that has been repurposed with 30 strands of shimmering faceted cut hematite gemstones giving new life to a beautiful heirloom. The intriguing center piece, a vintage silver dollar with Zuni turquoise inlay has been repurposed to function as a clasp.

The Zuni’s are noted for their precise turquoise, coral and other gem inlay. The most traditional Zuni style of jewelry is called petit point, which can be identified by tiny turquoise stones each supported in its own bezel. It is extremely time consuming work. The repurposed clasp is a piece of art and hand crafted using this technique that was passed down through the generations. That is why the value of a piece does not just come from the materials – the silver, turquoise and hematite but rather the value is derived from the artistic tradition that inspired the piece and the craftsmanship that brought it to life. 

That certainly is true with this work of art.