THE STORY
It all started with a craft afternoon with my 4-year-old daughter.
We were making bracelets from old, odd, synthetic beads. She actually made me a beautiful bracelet. I loved it so much that I wanted to have one made from quality beads. Then I thought, this is what we should make for my mother-in-law’s birthday this year (she was turning 90), a beautiful bracelet like this, giving it meaning with family birthstones and natural stones with great healing properties. I asked a few jewelry makers, silversmiths, how much it would cost to make it from real, natural silver or gold beads, and I got really surreal quotes, so I decided I’ll make it myself.
Months of research, sourcing quality beads coming from all over the world, I made my own family bracelet to test and see if it’s wearable, durable, beautiful, and makes me feel good. And it was, and it did. It brought my worldwide spread family closer in my everyday life. I made one for my mother-in-law too, and she was absolutely stunned. Then I made one for my friend, and she wanted one for all her family and friends too. This is how it started. Whoever got one of these bracelets became part of her body and soul and wanted to gift it to someone dear to her too.
I actually love making these bracelets. I’ve always been creative and crafty. I love receiving a bunch of birthdates with the map of relations and arranging the beads into a system where you easily know which bead means who. These bracelets really become an attachment to the body, carrying so much emotion.
I love to know the story of the beads, so I know where the stones were mined.
It’s definitely lovely to make Bonded Forever bracelets. I enjoy translating precious family relations into a beautiful and unique piece of jewelelry.