“Manifestations of evolution often occur behind the scenes, in a shadow-before we ‘see the light’ or the end-product of our vision”
Kena
I create. I am a visionary. Lover of all things having to do with art and design. Every piece is handcrafted by me. Utilizing semi-precious gemstones, pave diamonds, antique and vintage repurposed elements. In some form or another one or all of the aforementioned will be used. It is my joy to share with you my beginnings...as it is hard to let go of a piece I know it will be treated with love.
In Japanese culture there are a few unique beliefs, one in particular concept is called “mottainai” that essentially means we should cherish things and that even as an object ages, as long as it serves its purpose, it should be kept in use. I like to think that I am serving and/or servicing the antique and vintage pieces that I choose to reconstruct will continue to hold its value time after time.
Her Story; HISTORY
Before the 20th century, women wore jewelry made of precious and semi-precious stones and metals as a way to flaunt the wealth and status of their husbands, jewelry was mostly worn by the rich to convey their societal standing. Early in the 20th century, new materials and industrialization brought experimentation into forms of jewelry whose sole purpose was an expression of style rather than wealth.
The term "costume jewelry" was coined in the 1920's, but the movement can be traced back to the 17th and 18th centuries. Many jewelers during this period were looking for alternatives to diamonds, which were in high demand, but were very rare. In 1724, a jeweler named Georges Frédéric Strass developed a special leaded glass that could be cut and polished to twinkle like a diamond. By 1892, Austrian jeweler Daniel Swarovski developed his fine crystal rhinestones that could mimic the facets and luster of precious gemstones.
In the 1920's Coco Chanel launched a line of bold “statement” accessories. This jewelry was unlike anything that had been done before, and was a big hit. Following this trend, Elsa Schiaparelli created a line of jewelry inspired by the Dada art movement, with large fake stones on bold bracelets.
Much of this costume jewelry was made of a hard plastic resin known as Bakelite, which was invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland. Bakelite could be carved and polished into desirable shapes for beads and bangles, and was extremely popular in the 1930's and 40's.