IT’S HERE! For the last four months I’ve been working with a wonderful company based in Germany called ‘Stilnest‘.  They approached me about designing a jewelry collection with them (which is totally a bucket-list item of mine) and I dove in.  After our first phone call I knew I wanted to design based on the recurring theme in my recent paintings, steer and buffalo.  The more I researched the buffalo, the more it reminded me of a trip I took to Fort Apache where I spent a week enveloped in the beautiful and heartbreaking Indian community.  They were forever embedded in my heart.

So: how to present a Buffalo in a delicate design?  And a skull, no less, which is always over-used and a bit cliché.  What would be the secret to making this classy and fragile?  Beside my desk an early-century copy of “Last of the Mohicans” caught my eye.  I remembered the strength and beauty this film conjured in it’s blend of victorian, English gentility with the American Indians’ power, connection with nature and deep peace.

I began mood-boarding & sketching.

The designs went through various stages of measuring, adjusting, adding a few elements to ensure the structure would hold…

We finally arrived at a design and structure details and then began the prototype building.  Stilnest was swift in delivering these and other than a color adjustment in the gold, everything was all set.

I’m so thrilled to present to you our ‘Buffalo Offering‘ collection, which launches TODAY on Stilnest.  You may choose from a lovely champagne 18k gold, silver or rose gold plated.   The design is inspired by the magnificent Buffalo who gave everything for the American Indian.  There was not one part of of buffalo that went to waste after it was killed.  The buffalo brought life, shelter, food, trade, comfort, and so much more.  The Buffalo is honored for giving until there is nothing left.  When you wear it I pray it reminds you to give sacrificially and to live without waste.

I’d also like to extend a huge thanks to the team at Stilnest for making this possible, as well as my friends Stephanie and Kyle at Honey & Silk for providing the beautiful photo above and all the promo pics for ‘Buffalo Offering’.  My most sincere thanks. I hope you enjoy my first collection and I hope there are more to come!  • • •  CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE  • • •

10% of proceeds will go to the Tanka Fund, which is returning buffalo to land, diets and economy of the American Indian people.

All my love,

Joy