Triple Threat Heirloom Birthstones Ring

One of the most rewarding aspects of my job as a jewelry artist is the opportunity of creating something to celebrate the deep and meaningful relationships my clients have with their loved ones.⁠

This "grandma ring" is custom made for my most supportive and loyal collector, Jane, to depict just how much joy her three grandchildren have given her. ⁠

Quartz for Ayden the April baby, garnet for Jordyne the January baby and Citrine for Iyla the November baby.⁠ From now on, every time when she wears this piece, I hope the sparkles remind her of the precious time she has spent with them and all the giggles and laughters they shared.

Jane told me that, and I quote, “The cool thing is that I can pass it on (in the future) to Lynzee (her daughter) and she can wear it as a Mother's ring.” And that warms my heart.

Although I am pretty sure the grandkids are no longer actually babies any more, but to a grandparent's loving and smiling eyes, they will always be loved like they are.⁠ Hence, the triple threat of happiness overload! Cheers!

Interested in a custom heirloom piece? Feel free to message me. 💌

Bow & Arrow for Alex the Best Stay-Home Papa

In honor of the Father’s Day celebration, which is often just a little outshone by the Mother’s Day extravaganza, I would like to do a shout out to a stay-at-home father, Alex, and share my creation with you all.

Alex works at home, and he takes care of his daughter, Ellie’s everyday needs while his wife Robin also works hard to provide. At times, Robin does feel a bit disconnected with her adorable toddler girl. Noticing that, Alex thought it would be a great idea to have a custom matching jewelry piece made for the both of them, to remind her that she is in fact close to Ellie, and will always be.

What an incredibly sweet thought! I could not be happier to be part of this. After exchanging a bunch of emails, I learned more about the couple’s dynamic, hobbies, and aesthetic. Alex had specific things that he was looking for, yet was also very open to my style and suggestions on little details. And the final sketch came out looking like this.

I decided that instead of making the two pieces identical, they would actually be interactive! Robin’s piece would be the bow, and the arrow is for little Ellie (when she reaches the fine jewelry wearing age).

According to Alex, Robin and he are big video game and comic book nerds. I took different elements from all of Alex’s reference photos and designed the ideal fantasy weapon for them. After etching the bow drawing onto a piece of sterling silver, it was hand-pierced out and sweat soldered onto a piece of brass, then pierced again, creating a substantial weight and a pop of gold color accent. After that, a hardened round wire was soldered on as the bow string.

Since Robin and Ellie are both Sagittarius and they all enjoy astrology as a family, I chose blue topaz for the bling! To bring out the bright blue, I used a violet patina, which also gave it a fantasy weapon feel.

As for Ellie’s arrow, no etching was involved but just as much attention was spent—- The silver part of the arrow tip was beveled down on the edge first before it was connected onto the brass base. Little decorative dots were added with precise hammer blows. The tiny feather part was carefully cut into and engraved lines were added, then a very thin gauge wire was wrapped right next to it and soldered on at the end. I wanted to give the feathery look without making it too pointy so that it would be safe for Ellie to wear and to play with.

Like a toggle clasp, the bow and the arrow cling together and become one piece, but on their own, they stand beautifully as well. I particularly enjoy the symbolic play behind this. As a daughter myself, who fortunately has a wonderful relationship with my mom, I enjoy every moment I get to spend with her. We are codependent in the best ways, but at the same time, I believe that a mother and a daughter should also shine as bright individually. Although I have never met Alex or Robin in person, I believe that they would agree with me on that.

May all of the wonderful papas and mamas (ya why don’t we have a Parent’s Day already?) have fun celebrating parenthood today. Hats off to every single one of you!! We the spoiled brats love you all!!!

Mocha the Big Cat with Many Skills

To non animal lovers, a cat is a cat, it’s really just another cat. But to pet owners (the responsible ones, not those who treat them like a toy), that “another cat” is their best friend, their therapist, their light, their family member and much more, and they are absolutely special in their very own ways.
My friend Vivian lost her special one Mocha, and let me tell you a little bit about her.
Mocha was adopted in December 2005 when she was 3 years old. She was a Siamese with piercing blue eyes. She was a very vocal kitty and she could do tricks many thought only a dog could- she understood how to “sit” and how to “down”, she would roll over and even do high five, that was, of course, with a little yummy bribe. She was a mellow girl, very sweet and cuddly. But she also knew what she liked and did not like, because she was always able to find the tiny pieces of crushed calcium pill from her bowl, and delivered it to Vivian’s bedroom. “Here mom, you take your calcium crap.” How hilarious was that? Mocha was a chubby 18 lbs hugger, and her favorite snack was cricket.

To honor Mocha, the big cat with so much character, I’ve created a memorial bracelet made out of sterling silver, blue topaz, and a dash of Mocha’s ash.

Etching Mocha onto the metal piece was a challenge because she was dark in color on her face. The lack of contrast made it quite difficult to make her feature visible. A good amount of time was spent to fine tune the photo before I was confident that it would work. I was delighted to see the outcome after I worked on the patina finish after the piece was formed.

As requested, I have included Mocha’s name onto the back of the piece, and a dangling piece of blue topaz to remind Vivian of Mocha’s beautiful blue eyes. The most precious element, however, was undoubtedly incorporating Mocha’s ash into the piece. The blue gem looking piece on Mocha’s collar was made out of resin and her ash.

I have work with resin on metal quite a bit but since it was the first time I work with ash, I decided to still make a tester to make sure that it would cure as normal, and it did! It did not show very well in the picture but in person, Mocha’s white ash actually appeared to be sparkly! Combining that with a touch of light blue dry pastel into the resin, Mocha is now immortalized and transformed into a piece of heirloom jewelry.

This one of a kind bracelet will not replace Mocha’s voice, her many cool tricks or her warm hug, but I sincerely hope that it will at the very least bring Vivian some comfort, and remind her of the 13 years of joyful moments they have shared together. She will be missed.