Momma Told Me: It's not the size of the sparkle, but the spark behind it.
I've always been an eclectic mix of tomboy and girly girl. When I was in kindergarten I'd often get into fights over the Pretty Princess silver tiara, simply because it was the most coveted (I'd never be caught wearing it). My love of all things sparkly has only blossomed through the years. I adore sparkles, glitz, and glam; but don't care much for wearing it. Let's face it, Diamonds may pay the mortgage, but they won't keep me arm at night. Retract that, I could buy a dozen down comforters with said theoretical diamonds, but I'd still be alone. You get the point; I've stressed time and again (as nice as sparkly things are) the jewelry I actually pull out of my jewelry box to wear is often a unique statement piece that will garner compliments and turn heads. So many women get caught up in karats and cuts, when I feel if I were to receive a safety pin bracelet from my special man, it would be far more meaningful.
Luckily accessorizing doesn't have to come to that. Most men feel lost when buying jewelry for the women in their lives. It seems every holiday I am called to help my father wade through a sea of jewelry for his mother, sister in law, or girlfriend. As lost as the poor man seems, I am often just as much confounded. Gifting jewelry is an intimate thing. To do this successfully you must know a little something about the person being gifted, and their style. Or you can skip the long line of cookie cutter pendants from Kay Jewelers and gift something handcrafted and truly unique. Jilzara, which arguably sounds more like a mythical lizard monster, exists to satisfy the whimsy in every woman. With handcrafted
premium clay beads, no piece is ever truly identical, and all are limited edition. I recall messing around with polymer clay and bead layering as a teenager, but Jilzara blows my humble attempts out of the water.
You may not recognize the name Jill Manzara, but she pioneered the art of clay beads for modern jewelry nearly 10 years back. Today her and her daughter (don't you just love a mother/daughter team?) work tirelessly in their studios to create intricate hand rolled beads that are guaranteed to last through decades of wear. Unlike pretty painted synthetic beads, these hand designed beads are actually layers of rolls spliced together into round and square beads. The traditional round clay beads are strung and displayed on a high quality cording with the Jilzara brand stamp, while square beads are mounted in lead and nickel free castings that add tangible weight and quality to the overall pieces. I'll admit, when I hear 'clay beads' I don't jump to place an order- but there was something captivating about my first
Jilzara encounter that sent me online to explore a little more.
One of the things I especially love about Jilzara is the accessory pieces are titled by collection in order of mounts/facets. That is to say while a particular arrangement of beads on a bracelet may be titled 'Medium Crystal,' the various colors and patterns of actual beads available within that style are numerous. I received a Medium Silverball bracelet in Navy, and this is hardly the best way to introduce the piece seen in the header. With beautiful paisley and lace prints that remind me of fine porcelain, the wide beads on this bracelet are each unique in pattern. I'll admit, I was weary of the 'stretch' wear, but the nylon cording fed through the heart of the bracelet is especially giving and durable. Still, I prefer the brands other fixtures like the below Square Wrap and toggle options. One thing I love especially about my Jilzara pieces if the soft feel of the buffed clay and the tiny imperfections in the designs that remind me of the impressive creativity and patience that went into engineering each and every one.
We gifted some Jilzara pieces to family this past holiday season and I have to say they were the talk of the gift exchanges. I had to convince a few aunts that these were indeed traditionally crafted clay beads, not painted imitations. We inevitably ended up browsing the brand's online catalog, where I heard many remarks about how reasonable the pricing was, given the weight and quality of the pieces we had in hand. The brand's new Bangle Charm Bracelet also caught several eyes; we thought these would be wonderful mother/daughter sets to build and collect over time. In all, Jilzara is a delightfully whimsical American jewelry brand that offers something for every style. Some of the bold patterns and colors might intimidate the average male shopper, but the unique design and time put into each bead on those pieces make them an especially meaningful gift to me! Stop by and browse the current Spring collection today, and be sure to check out the double strand watches; they're simply gorgeous.
What Daughter Says: I adore the girly prints and frilly patterns of Jilzara's handmade premium beaded jewelry!
