We have been made very aware of our breath as of late. The effect that our breath can unknowingly have on the people around us is on the minds of our global community. Many of us are now wearing masks in an effort to protect those near to us and keep our breath to ourselves as much as possible. It is an apt reminder that we each have the ability to affect the world around us and a responsibility to act respectfully.

I believe our thoughts can have the same kind of power as our breath, the power to go beyond us and affect the people and environment that surround us. We have a responsibility to breathe into the world the values, thoughts and inspirations that we want to see grow, like a ripple that starts as a tiny drop and grows into a wave on the other side of the world.

I form metal and stone into tokens that remind people of their highest values, the values they want to see ripple into the world beyond them. The power of putting on a piece of jewelry that carries significance changes the way you think and act. I recently had the honor of making a necklace using the ashes of a woman’s late husband so she could be reminded of his love and have renewed strength to act with compassion towards others. Every time I make engagement rings, I think of the many times throughout that person’s life that they will glance at that ring and think about the love they share with their partner, the memories they have made together, the life they have created side by side and the power of choosing love. Creating new pieces out of jewelry passed down from grandmas and great grandmas is an opportunity to give someone a token of belonging, a connection to previous generations that paved the way for their life and a reminder that our actions today affect the generations that come after us. 

Jewelry can create rhythms of thinking in your life that ripple positivity, love, and inspiration. Each piece can carry significance and meaning. My hope this year is that just as we have become very conscious about our breath, we will become very conscious about how we use our thoughts, actions and ability to create the reality of the world we live in.