This year's design focus for the spring/summer collection is... the shell. Shell jewelry: like this seashell necklace or these little shell earrings. Imagine someone wearing one of these pieces out for a celebration or gathering with friends. Pair it with a glass of champagne as you sip and devour oysters from the shell, or some mussels dripped in garlic and wine sauce. Coastal lovers? Yes, please.

To say I was thinking of Valentine's Day when I made these would be untrue. I started working on these late last year. They haunted my waking hours until I finally sat down to carve them out, re-size, carve them again, adjust, etc. until I felt they were the ideal size for comfort and wearability.

Imagery that inspired me to work on this collection was picturing an evening date night: with just-so lighting and being out on the town. These pieces are meant to be worn and weathered over time so that the soft karat gold on the high-points will etch away to reveal the beautiful porcelain carving beneath. Has there ever been a shell necklace that was more sweet and dreamy? One that responds to its wearer over time to become the ultimate weather-worn shell, made by nature -- but in this case, made by a human, for a human, to be worn... by a human. (I should probably stop typing anything now.) 

View the whole collection page here.

I'm constantly looking for that something different. The kind of piece that speaks to me not just as the designer but also as the wearer, tends to be the one I'm likely to touch and hold on to. They draw my fingers in to worry away at the textures while I'm thinking or waiting in a moment. The pieces are big enough to hold, small enough to dance in, and shiny enough to lure in a query from the curious observer. Perhaps that's the design appeal that lends itself to me -- a bit of curiosity and a little bit of subtle glamour.