Happenings at Bone + Lava Jewelry Studio | Spring 2017

This spring, I made a point of capturing on video the most quintessentially spring-like moments that inspired my work for the season.

The camera didn't always make it out of the house. Not captured were trips to the beach, late evenings when the sun went down and the warm Californian air let us meander out of doors sipping sweet drinks and talking about nothing - a road trip to Pismo Beach and the best burritos made in Salinas, a Napa wedding, a tequila sunrise, the bouquet of flowers on my bedside table as I write this and many more ordinary things.

Spring trends and a makeup tutorial by Lisa Eldridge got me interested in vivid yellows this season. I’ve been adding Lavender syrup to my coffee on the weekends and adding bright pops of yellow to my new jewelry pieces, featuring the onion briolettes I've been drawn to lately.

My winter collection hit retail shelves this spring but I recently made the decision to discontinue that partnership. I found that the demographic for that store was a mismatch for Bone + Lava. The experience taught me a lot and I don't regret it a bit. I enjoyed getting to know the store owner as I made visits to the store, rearranged the display, and traded ideas with her about marketing and pricing strategies.

This quarter I also developed my packaging, selecting necklace boxes in cornflower blue to match the color of my logo. I played around with a design program I use at my day job in marketing to create labels which tag my in-store items as "handmade in Cupertino."

My summer collection will be released soon, and to give you a taste of what's to come, you can expect a lot of fine silver, yellow chalcedony, and rose quartz. I will leave the rest to your imagination.

I began visiting a jewelry making studio where I learned to fuse and hammer fine silver, so I am excited to reveal the fruits of that labor when the collection goes live. With these techniques I made delicate, fine silver rings and some of the elements you’ll see in my summer necklaces.

A bit of a shift from my work this winter, I upgraded my metals and made the switch from gold and silver plated chains to sterling and gold vermeil. I had originally wanted to use the relatively cheaper metals in order to keep my price range down but found that I prefer working with semi-precious stones and putting time into quality and handcrafted workmanship, which deserves to be paired with similarly high quality hardware and the moderately higher price range that follows.

I want my work to be special and last a long time. I test the strength and weight of my pieces to ensure that they will be with the wearer for years.

Thanks for checking in with me and I hope you’re looking forward to the new collection! Let’s make the most of the season and spend less time on the internet. I joined a new MMA gym recently so I'm spending more time exercising, as well as getting outside with my loved ones, investing in my friendships, and bringing some more color and movement into my life.

If you want to tell me about a trip you’re taking this summer or what inspires you in the present my inbox is always open.

I can’t wait for you to see what I’ve been making lately. You’re going to like it.