About the Jewelry

Paper
Other Materials
Creation Process
Lightweight
One-of-a-kind
Paper Jewelry Care


Paper
The jewelry is created with beautiful decorative papers from around the world: Silk-screened Chiyogami and stencil-dyed Katazome-shi papers from Japan; eco-friendly Lokta papers from Nepal; hand-marbled papers from Brazil; handmade papers from India; marbled and decorative papers from Italy, Thailand, and France. I use handmade and machine-made papers that contain natural fibers such as bamboo, Lokta bark, kozo, gampi, cotton and silk.

Other Materials
I use high quality .925 sterling silver in the jewelry. All clasps, findings, chains, ear-wires, wire, and components are sterling silver. I also use sterling silver beads, semi-precious gemstones, Swarovski crystals and pearls, freshwater pearls, and coral beads.

Creation Process
I craft each paper bead by hand, one at a time. The core - the unseen area beneath the decorative paper - is formed with 2-5 layers of high-quality illustration board. I love to make paper beads in varying shapes and sizes; each is individually cut with scissors or an x-acto blade.

Illustration board is a very thick paper containing thinner layers of paper pressed together; it has a similar thickness to mat board. This gives the bead a firm interior for sturdiness, and allows for variation in bead thickness depending on the piece of jewelry.

Every glazed paper bead goes through a detailed series of fifteen steps or more before it is ready to join other beads and components. I developed a technique of constructing the paper beads with needle-thin inner tunnels or "channels" which allow for sterling silver wire, headpins, or beading wire to pass through.

Each bead is covered, one surface at a time, with decorative paper. Top side, underside, and edges are meticulously covered with beautiful patterned or solid color paper. The paper beads are then sealed with a non-toxic, acid-free glaze for a touch of gloss and dimensionality. The sealant protects the decorative paper underneath.

I hand wire-wrap the finished paper beads to chain, ear-wires, or other components.

Lightweight
The jewelry is incredibly lightweight and has the benefit of not weighing you down. Even the longer earrings won't pull on your earlobes. Each pair of earrings comes with clear ear-wire backings to help keep your earrings in place.

One-of-a-kind
I want you to have a truly original piece of jewelry, so I make only one of each item. If you love something that has sold, I'd be happy to make something similar, but not identical.

Paper Jewelry Care
Treat your jewelry with care, and you’ll enjoy it for years to come. Avoid leaving it in direct hot sun, by a radiator, or in a sauna or steam room. Extreme heat can fade and damage the paper and glaze.

Put your jewelry on after applying your perfumes, hair products, etc. to prevent the chemicals in the products from tainting your jewelry.

Remove your jewelry before bed. Use a silver polishing cloth to gently shine your silver and remove tarnish from earwires, clasps, and chains.

Remove your jewelry before showering or swimming, and remove bracelets before washing dishes. It’s a good idea to avoid exposure to water.

If water comes in contact with your paper jewelry, blot it dry with a soft cloth. The sealer makes the jewelry water-resistant, so a little water will roll right off, but it's not water-proof.