On Beginnings — and a Rainy Day Reminder
As the year winds down, I’ve been thinking a lot about new beginnings. Not the loud, sweeping kind, but the quiet resolutions we make to ourselves — like being more open, more present, more communicative. So here I am, starting this journal as a small promise to share more of the heart behind my work.
Today felt like the perfect day to begin.
I delivered a very special piece to a new customer of mine — someone I met just a few days ago at the Grand Bazaar. That day, I questioned my decision to show up at all. It was cold, gloomy, and the rain was relentless. At one point it even seeped through my tent, and I remember thinking, Why am I here?
And then came Kelley and her sister.
They wandered in with the kind of warmth that instantly shifts the atmosphere. They tried on almost every piece — laughing, comparing, admiring — and their joy washed over me like sunlight breaking through a stormy sky. My low-key miserable day suddenly felt lighter, warmer, meaningful again.
Kelley ultimately chose the Florentine Pinky Ring — a piece that carries a quiet but personal significance for me.
The Florentine Pinky Ring was the gateway to an entirely new fine line. For a long time, I battled serious imposter syndrome, especially stepping into the world of high fine jewelry. It wasn’t until Gram commissioned me to create a Florentine Pinky Ring set with graded diamonds — an engagement ring for his girlfriend, Alex — that something shifted. That project became a turning point, a reminder that others often see our potential long before we do.
So today, handing that ring to Kelley felt like a small, full-circle moment.
Moments like this remind me why I show up — even when it’s cold, or raining, or when doubt creeps in. Because somewhere out there is someone who will connect with what I make. And that connection is worth every soggy tent, every long day, every quiet uncertainty.
Here’s to new beginnings, to showing up, and to the unexpected joys that arrive exactly when we need them.