Why Nature Inspires So Much of My Jewelry

People often ask where I find inspiration for my jewelry designs.

The answer is simple: nature.

Nature has shaped nearly every part of my life. It influenced what I chose to study in college, guided my 25-year career protecting natural resources, and continues to inspire the jewelry I create today.

Long before I was designing gemstone bracelets and malas, I was fascinated by the natural world. I wanted to understand how landscapes worked, how water moved through ecosystems, and how we could protect the places that make our world so beautiful.

That curiosity led me to study environmental science and eventually build a career focused on water, wetlands, and natural resource protection.

But my connection to nature goes beyond education and work.

My happiest place has always been outdoors.

Whether I'm walking along a shoreline, sitting quietly beside a river, exploring a forest trail, or standing on a mountain overlooking the landscape below, I feel most grounded when I'm surrounded by nature.

One place that has always held a special place in my heart is Lake Superior.

Growing up in Minnesota, I was drawn to its rugged shoreline, endless horizon, and ever-changing moods. There is something about Lake Superior that reminds me how vast and beautiful the world can be. Even today, I find myself returning to its shores whenever I can.

If I had to point to one experience that truly shaped my relationship with nature, though, it would be a week I spent in the Boundary Waters when I was sixteen years old.

For seven days, I paddled and camped in a wilderness unlike anything I had ever experienced.

I sat quietly along a lakeshore as the sun disappeared behind the trees and the Milky Way slowly emerged overhead. I listened to wolves howl in the distance as I lay in my tent at night. I stretched out in a canoe and watched bald eagles circle high above me.

There were moments of complete silence. The kind of silence that is so rare in our modern world that it almost feels sacred.

Something about that week changed me.

It deepened my appreciation for the natural world and helped set the course for the rest of my life.

When I sit down at my work bench, those experiences often come with me.

Sometimes a design is inspired by the colors of a shoreline.

Sometimes it's the feeling of discovering a hidden spring deep in the woods.

Sometimes it's the peaceful beauty of a quiet river inlet.

And sometimes the gemstones themselves remind me of a place, a season, or a memory.

One of the things I love most about working with natural gemstones is that the stones already contain incredible beauty. The colors, patterns, and textures found in nature are often more beautiful than anything I could create on my own.

My role is simply to bring those elements together in a way that celebrates the natural world and the connection many of us feel when we spend time outdoors.

The newest additions to my Natural Wonders Collection were inspired by exactly those kinds of experiences. Sand & Sea, Hidden Spring, Quiet Cove, Evening Glow, and Winding Path all began with a place, a memory, or a feeling rooted in nature.

More than anything, I hope my jewelry serves as a reminder to slow down, step outside, and reconnect with the beauty that surrounds us every day.

Nature has given me so much throughout my life.

Creating jewelry inspired by it is one small way I can honor that gift.