beaded necklace | Bread and Cake

Here, I so often try to find new things to say about design elements that speak to me. Sometimes, I just want to just share something I’ve found and say, “Hey, I love that. I would wear that.”

But, really, shouldn’t I say more? Shouldn’t I say why? You know, it’s just not that easy. It’s easier to speak of lovely technique or innovation but it’s harder to say why something just strikes a chord.

Among the lines of jewelry that cause words to fail me is the work of Erin Jane.

Long White Jade Necklace

So, about this, I can scare up a few words. As I’ve said before, one of the things I most appreciate in jewelry design is when the designer really makes necessary components do some of the aesthetic heavy-lifting. Jane has done this here with the silver band connecting the pendant to the chain. With this little maneuver, she’s cleverly elevated the design from what could of have been a much more forgettable necklace.

Gold Bar Bracelet with White Topaz

Nice. Clean. Simple.

Chocolate Diamond Three Stone Bar Necklace

I didn’t write fast enough. This has sold. It’s beautiful, though, and maybe she’ll make more. I love dots. I love mixed metal. This is no brainer. Love it.

It is not too difficult to find old jewelry components that are suitable for being repurposed into new pieces. Your mother’s jewelry box, thrift stores, antique stores — it’s everywhere, really. The trick is in the designing. It takes practice to do it well and have collected components find a home in a new piece. Peiyu Tan, who seems to specialize in repurposed Nepalese jewelry, has done a wonderful job doing just that.

These and other amazing pieces, which are unbelievably affordable, can be found in Peiyu’s Etsy store, UniqueNepal.