Looking forward to attending the 2016 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show coming up in early February with my Dad! Excited to browse, buy, and drool over this city covered with hundreds of vendors with rare, gorgeous stones just waiting for AmazziRoots to discover them.
As I plan, save and prepare for this event, I can’t help but already begin designing future AmazziRoots collections. Stay tuned for what we bring home!
This limited collection that is now available for purchase in the shop! Ever since my rock obsession began when I was little, I was always in awe of the beauty and mystery behind opals. Before taking metalsmith classes about two years ago, I dreamed of being able to set pretty, sparkly, glowing opals in jewelry.
I’m thankful that the day has come that I have built up enough skill to create this delicate new line of waterdrop-shaped Ethiopian Welo opal rings. Each unique and fascinating with her own fire & glow, these opals are gorgeous and the highest quality you can get, AAA grade. This grade is given to gemstones that are clean, well cut and polished and considered “being near perfect.” This specific type of hydrophane opal is found in Welo Province in northern Ethiopia.
There are ways to take good care of your opals to prevent any harm or breakage to the stone. AmazziRoots suggests that you remove your Welo Opal ring when you wash hands, bathe, and go swimming to prevent the ‘fire’ from becoming transparent. If this happens, don’t fear! These special opals will dry out and eventually regain their glow.
I believe this ring is an excellent representation of what AmazziRoots is all about. This ring is a symbol for how beautiful and rare clean, safe, sustainable water can be. These opals were not synthetically made; they were mined in Ethiopia, right where the incredible ACT Project is taking place to help provide access to clean water, sanitation & hygiene, and HIV/AIDS clinics. So thank you for those who purchase a Welo Opal ring, 10% of your purchase will go towards Blood:Water Mission who has partnered with ACT to improve lives in the Suki community in Ethiopia.
Check them out in my shop here for the Lightened version and here for the darkened version. Enjoy!
AmazziRoots was featured in the wonderful fashion blog, Millennielle! Founded by the beautiful Coco Bassey. Check it out here: http://millennielle.com/2015/03/amazziroots/
THANK YOU
…to everyone who has supported, purchased and worn AmazziRoots this past month. Because of you, AmazziRoots donated $131.54 to Blood:Water Mission! This makes my heart ache with so much joy. Every single copper penny counts. Thank you.
This past Autumn & early winter have been full of change & transition…two seasons in my life dedicated to diving into several new bodies of water to try and figure ‘it’ out… or rather, figure ‘something’ out. Through it all, I am slowly learning how to worry less about money (easier said than done) and worry more about how to turn dreams into reality. When you decide to take a deep breath and trust the process, sometimes it just works out for the better…and for that I am so thankful.
With more designs already in the works, becoming a metals monitor at Lillstreet Art Center, and new metalsmith classes beginning mid-January (creative settings & wax casting courses…YES!) I cannot wait to see what is in store for AmazziRoots in 2015. If you think I’ve gone missing, you may want to look at Lillstreet in the metals studio that gets zero reception. Cheers to new beginnings in 2015!
As freaky as it may be, sometimes you just have to go for it. No questions. No holding back. Stop worrying. And just…dive in & go for it.
As I sit here writing this first post, I cannot help but feel completely overwhelmed with emotion. If you know me, this shouldn’t come as a big surprise. The past couple of years were full of confusion, frustration & self-doubt. All feelings that led me to feel very lost & anxious all of the time. There were moments–many, many moments–when I truly believed that I would never find my calling.
Right now, in this exact moment, I feel a lot of things. Excited. Anxious. Grateful. Scared shitless. But above all, I don’t feel lost anymore…I feel ready. I am ready to begin AmazziRoots metallic adventure. Who knows where or how far Amazzi will go, but I’m ready to dive right in. And I’m not the best or most graceful swimmer. So come along, join me and tread the beautiful element of water. Some pretty groovy waves are on the way….
A little background: Almost exactly one year ago, I began taking Metalsmith classes at Lillstreet Art School in Chicago. I did it for fun, hoping to enhance my simple, amateur creations I was selling on Etsy. At the time, I wasn’t happy where I was working yet I wasn’t happy thinking about finding a new job. I worked as a temp at a food flavoring company in Geneva and would commute through rush hour after work to take this Beginners metalsmith course. Best. Decision. I. Ever. Made. A year has flown by, and a lot has happened. I moved to the city, became a nanny-by-day and amateur metalsmith by night. I completed several Metalsmith night courses, grown immensely not only as a novice jeweler, but also as a believer. If you think you may have found your ‘nitch’, or one of your many callings in life, don’t hold back–go for it. I admit, there is still so much to learn & experiment with. So if you visit AmazziRoots shop and feel it isn’t ‘your style’, please come visit the shop again–I have creations brewin’ in this mind that will require more time, practice & skill. This is only the beginning. So stay tuned!
Also, most importantly, thank you. You all know who you are. A thank you to those who have been right by my side as I’ve tried to figure out what it is I’m here for. A thank you to those Etsy customers who bought my first pieces and told others to check out my shop. A thank you to those who have heard me cry, given me endless hugs & have listened to me through this whole journey. A thank you to those who have challenged me to go a step further and go for this website. Without you, absolutely none of this could have happened. Because of you, AmazziRoots was created and will continue to grow and flow just as it is supposed to. So welcome, welcome to AmazziRoots.
Enjoy wearing your Amazzi pieces knowing that you are a part of impacting and improving lives across seas. 10% of your purchase will go directly to the grassroots organization, Blood:Water Mission. I chose this organization because I truly believe in what they do. B:WM partners with HIV-infected communities in East Africa to empower and improve social, economic and health implications caused by HIV/AIDS and unclean water conditions. What I really love about B:WM is that they partner with Africa-based organizations already within the communities and use various provision projects that best improve specific environments for long-lasting development.
Learn more here: http://www.bloodwater.org/solutions