The Story of Joy and Gratitude Behind the Jewelry
“Art is a harmony parallel with nature” -Paul Cezanne
The Story of Joy and Gratitude Behind the Jewelry
Here’s My Story, So You Can Tell Yours
Do nature and art bring you a sense of well-being? Help to align and move you? Add a sense of calm and beauty to your life? If so I hear you! I design my jewelry for women like you, who truly need to be surrounded by beautiful things, both in nature and art.
Hi! I’m Rina and I design and make nature-inspired jewelry with whimsical artistry for the woman who feels spiritually connected to nature, loves being outdoors, and is also drawn to quality crafted handmade items with intention.
If you are inspired by nature and its power to calm, heal, and bring joy, then you are in the right place!
Jewelry often represents your sense of self through the things you love. Each piece expresses what you love and is a part of your story. It is symbolic.
All of my jewelry is fully handmade in the spirit of joy and gratitude. I am deeply connected to the mountains of the northeast and west (Alaska, California, upstate N.Y., Montana, and New Mexico), and the Florida coast. So I make a lot of mountain and ocean jewelry! But I make other nature-inspired and gemstone jewelry too.
How it all started
I have been an artist my entire life. From painting in watercolor and oils to stained glass and quilting, I love telling stories through visual images. My Jewelry making journey started with a fun girls' night out making crochet necklaces at a local boutique. That led me to my first of many metal smithing classes, and I knew immediately I found my perfect artistic expression.
Why it all started
That was over 15 years ago, about the same time my husband started having some strange health symptoms, which was quite stressful for me (he was later diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.) I lived in Alaska at the time, and I found my balance and well-being by hiking, backcountry skiing, being in nature, and also by making art. I then found that designing, creating, and wearing little “silver nature paintings” helped to keep me connected to nature and myself (as a caretaker it’s easy to lose yourself).I truly believe artisan jewelry is wearable art, and a form of self-expression- it’s a way of telling a bit of your own story and can make you feel beautiful inside and out!
How It’s Made
Instead of using a brush, I hand-saw my designs and solder them together. I started in sterling silver but quickly transitioned to Argentium sterling silver because it’s made from 100% recycled silver and is tarnish-resistant. Recently I have started using a combination of Argentium sterling silver and fine silver in many of my pieces.
Please Note: just about all of my pieces are made to order and all are Argentium Sterling Silver (some also with fine silver).
You can find my work in 3 galleries throughout Alaska, as well as in Gainesville, Florida, and Meredith, New Hampshire.
Values Matter
Here at Pure Whimsy Jewelry all packaging (as well as the silver) is recycled to lessen any impact on our natural world. And all gemstones are carefully sourced.
Oh- and a portion of direct sales goes to Save Ak Spots. To learn more read the blog post about how Pure Whimsy Jewelry gives back.
Thanks so much for joining me on my journey!
Smiles,
Rina
P.S. If you’re ready to feel more connected to what you love, nature, and art
shop Pure Whimsy Jewelry today!
What is Argentium Sterling Silver?
I choose to work in Argentium Sterling Silver vs. traditional Sterling Silver because I truly feel it produces a more beautiful, durable piece of jewelry. Here is a little information on Argentium...