Bees who create with Soul, Spirit & Mother Earth in mind

This Holiday Season Shop indigenous & within your local + small business community. Purchasing handmade jewelry, art, home goods, clothing & investing in your wellness locally creates a stronger sense of belonging + community. It can bee a meaningful experience you can hold in your heart because you are supporting someones dream, mission, healing, family etc. directly!

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Solstice Studio Naturally Dyed & Stitched by Elana Bloom in Tucson, AZ

Herbs From The Heart Handcrafted Organic Herbal Remedies, Custom Herbal Formulations, Private Consultations & Herbal Education By Andrea Stines

Marissa Indoe ojibwe artist from Chapleau Ojibwe First Nation in Ontario Canada

ThunderVoice Hat Co. carries on the lineage of Native Fashion that emerged from a collaboration of cultures. The Iconic Navajo Brim hat has spanned through the ages, as reminder of generations past.

Laurel Symone is a brand created to bring beauty to your life. Inspiring whole living, self- empowerment, and connecting and reminding self of our divinity and power while bringing luxury into your everyday life.

Navajo Expressions Navajo Expressions Arts and Crafts is a 20-year family-owned, home-based business from the Navajo Reservation. 

Darylene R Martin A creative Navajo (Dine) woman from Arizona, Artist and Fashion/Jewelry designer.

Of The Essence, Jenn Castillo Staats healing • growth • empowerment • wellness

Gold Lion AZ Custom treatments and self care gifts for your body, mind and spirit.

Akiiwan Beadwork Handcrafted beadwork by Ojibwe artist Tayla Fairbanks

Dr. Rosales Meza Decolonizing Your Mind, Liberating Your Spirit

Raven Reads Read your way to reconciliation.One page at a time.

Marcy Ellis Celebrating feminine connection to landscape through line

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Of course I’ll bee adding to this throughout 2022! Currently in the busy holiday/market season but I wanted to share a few of my favorites for you to follow & shop with this holiday season.

Ps. There is a lot of amazing souls that don’t have a website or are even on social media that create amazing pieces of art & have really good medicine to share. If someone comes to mind as you read this reach out to with them, see what they are working on & support their work any way you can.

Please share this list of amazing beings with your friends & family!

Rock Hounding

Purchasing stones from the miner themselves is always a nice learning experience. We talk about what stones we’ve gathered from rock hounding, what types of jewelry we’ve made over the years, & why we choose to be obsessed with gems! 

The guy that owns this shop has had gold fever since his mid twenties. He’s in his late forties now. He shared pictures of gold nuggets he’s found over the years. One nugget was worth $40,000 dollars. If you have the DRD4 gene and a semi addictive personality gold mining may or may not be a good hobby to pick up he explained!

Giving Back

     I have been very busy with designing and crafting jewelry for Charity Charms, which is a jewelry company that provides jewelry products for non-profit organizations.

    The current project: I'm working on bracelets, necklaces, & earrings. Each order is a 100+ piece order. 

   How my wholesale journey began

    I worked at a local large jewelry & bead distributor store. I started making jewelry for jewelry designers that didn't have the time to make their own pieces. My clients would supply me with all the parts and pieces. A majority of the jewelry was native influenced because most of my clients were Native American & traveled the west coast selling their goods to southwestern stores. I made thousands of earrings and necklaces in 2013-2015. Some of the orders were infinite. It solely depended on how much I could make in a week. That was excellent profits but exhausting. 

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     I slowly transitioned into not taking so many wholesale orders two years ago because I wanted to focus on my own line and flourish my high quality jewelry brand, which ended up being a very exciting transition. I currently only do freelance wholesale work for Charity Charms since I agree with the companies morals and vision. It truly is a perfect fit for me. I get to make jewelry for companies that are making a difference in the world and being a part of that is truly special, I am forever grateful for the opportunity.

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NOTE: I had to change my my blogs direction due to an abundance of ordering coming in and wholesale work. I will be blogging about custom pieces and large projects! I was really hoping my 100 day of 100 designs was going to work but I didn't consider the amount of work I already have on the table. Thank you for understanding 

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Two Souls Connect

      I love watching others come together through jewelry, especially when the jewelry has a special meaning behind it. A beautiful story wrapped in either family history, love, or mile-stones, and so much more is what makes it significant. These two intention necklaces were made for lovers. Each necklace has gemstones that were picked out due to their healing properties. The necklace on the left’s purpose is to help balance all the chakras. The deep green stone malachite is known to do just that and also protects the wearer through the changes that come when aligning oneself. The necklace on the right’s purpose is to help the wearer become more aware of their power and also learn how to harness it in a positive way.

     Intention necklaces are similar to malas. The difference is the bead count and the free-flowing style. You are more then welcome to pray, meditate, or set intention into your intention necklace. There is no right or wrong way to do it, just follow your heart, intuition, and desire.

     Gemstones have been used for centuries. Supposedly, the first time humans were intrigued by stones was when they went out hunting for game. River rock was the first stone they gravitated towards. Hunters kept the river rock pebbles on their person because they believed it gave them luck and kept them safe while they ventured through the woods and brush. I believe that this is true, and not only because I believe in the metaphysical, but because when we have faith in something that we trust, we allow our defense mechanisms to fall, which allows the magic of the unknown to guide us.

     River Rock is a very common bed-rock stone found in lakes and rivers. A variety of beautiful natural colors are pictured below.

Photo found on Pinterest 

May the fourth be with you!

Titanium quartz necklaces are back! They will be part of the collection May, 4th 12' noon MT 

Obstacles

     Although this piece was difficult to make, it allowed me to use my skills to the best of my ability because I am always up for a good challenge. The best jewelry designing orders are the ones that help me collect new tools for my tool box (literally and figuratively). It is one of the many reasons why I decided to make a career out of my stone and jewelry obsession, which is a never- ending journey of learning ranging from the books I have collected, teachers I have learned from, the jewelry community, and even battle wounds from my tools… I have recognized that there is always something new to learn or an obstacle to overcome.

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Custom Men's ring

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     When it comes down to it, I can't really imagine myself doing anything else. Now I know this may sound foolish to some, but I don't mind their judgments. There has been plenty of people who have told me that my dreams weren't logical or realistic, clearly I didn't listen to them because look at where I am now! I just had to keep pushing myself past my comfort zone in order to find success among what I love doing. If you knew the younger version of me, all she wanted was what would be normal, safe, practical, and comfortable. I am an old soul and the wisdom that I have gained over the years taught me that you can't run from the inevitable "change" and even your own "reality.” If you are passionate about something, your passion will keep knocking on your door until you answer.

      I traveled and lived in a few different places after graduating high school but it wasn’t until I moved to Phoenix, AZ, in December 2013 that I realized how drastically my life would change! The past four years have been my biggest teachings, healing, and light bringing force. I dedicated my life to healing myself, loving others, and keeping it transparent with everyone I meet. My life has been magical & full of synchronicity ever since. It is very likely that my perspective changed, causing the sweetness to take over my bitterness. If you haven't visited the desert yet, I highly recommend it!

We are better when we work together

Havasupi Falls 2017

30 miles in 2 days. 15 pound pack! 

Special Occasion

      Beautiful Kingman turquoise mined in Kingman, Arizona. Both are cut from the same slab of stone and are hand cut and polished locally in Phoenix, AZ. The sterling silver I use is eco-friendly & of high quality; I buy it locally.

Top Ten special occasions to buy Cufflinks for men

1. Birthdays 
2. Anniversaries
3. Promotions
4. Weddings
5. Graduations
6. Retirement  
7. Fathers day 
8. Valentines Day 
9. Christmas 
10. No reason at all 

Happy Easter 

     This pair of cufflinks was a commissioned piece from my significant other. He was a groomsman for one of his closest friends since high school, an honor for Leo, which is why he wanted to to get his close friend something special. He chose a meaningful gift that could be passed down to the grooms' children one day.  

Enjoy this beautiful Sunday! Thank you for check out my blog!

Much love,

Amber Marie 

Wedding Pearls

        This pearl & sleeping beauty turquoise necklace was originally a custom piece made for a bride-to-be. The pearls are freshwater rice pearls, harvested in China. The pearls have a short growth time, which makes them  easier to find locally & plentiful. I personally love pearls because they give off such a classy and sophisticated look while still looking cute and stylish at the same time! Pearls also go with almost anything, which makes them a great investment.

       Purchasing pearl necklaces can be overwhelming because there are so many different types: shapes, sizes, regions, colors, etc. & the price always varies! Every time I purchase pearls, I learn something new because the sellers I purchase from are passionate about their product.

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Pearl Care

Pearls are organic which means that they are affected by heat, alcohol in perfumes, creams, and detergents, which can cause them to lose their luster and color. Perspiration can also damage the pearls because of its acidic components. You should clean pearls gently with a cloth before storing and then store them in a cloth pouch. Do not store in plastic bags because they will cause condensation and the plastic does not protect the pearl from impact. So, if you follow these instructions, your pearls should be in perfect condition!

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I hope you learned something new about pearls in this blog post! This piece won't be posted in the collection because it was a custom, one of a kind piece. I do take custom pearl necklace requests though. Send me an email & we can design something beautiful together. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! 

Much love,

Amber Marie 

Solo Trip

     In December 2015, I took a fifteen day solo backpacking adventure through Athens, Greece, & Rome, Italy! I went solo to seek out fresh inspiration, sightsee,  meet local jewelers, get lost, & make new friends from all over the world. It was a very pleasurable experience.

  Greece & Italy are both beautiful countries. I put a small gallery together for you to enjoy below.

      The piece I'm sharing with you today is very special to me because I was gifted this triangle shaped lapis lazuli pendant. The man who gifted it to me worked at the shop I was browsing. I was searching for a smaller carry on because I didn't want to check my bag on my way to Rome, Italy.  Half of his store was bags and the other half was beautiful handmade jewelry made by him. He used all natural gemstones and African trade beads. The design style was very bold and unique; beautiful works of art. I wish I had photos to share with you but sadly, I do not because I was so immersed in our conversation and design banter.     

      I've had this lapis bead displayed in my studio for some time now. I wasn't finding any beads that truly complimented its shape, until I found these heshi Kingman turquoise beads.(heshi is a bead cutting style-polished thin sliced discs). I string them onto vegan sinue thread and create a pattern with solid copper rounds finished with a hand fabricated copper clasp.

Thank you for checking out my blog today! I hope you are having a lovely weekend!

Much love,

Amber Marie

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Athens, Greece & Rome, Italy 

Thank You for your service

      Cufflinks are a great statement piece in men's fashion.  They are made for french-cuff shirts which have button holes on both sides but no buttons. My clients use them as a good luck charm whenever they have an important meeting or are going on a date or special event.   I've made geode cufflinks, raw gemstones, faceted gems, & high polished gems. Photo gallery below. 

        The blue-stared rubies were picked up in a small Afghani gem shop on a military base in Herat, Afghanistan. My client served overseas and picked up several beautiful gemstones. He wanted to make a few pieces with them. We have been designing together to make sure all the pieces are turned into small works of art for him & his family to cherish for years to come. 

Gallery 

Cufflinks cost range $150-$400 depending on which stones are desired price changes

Above: Here I am carefully soldering the .999 silver bezel settings in place. This is one the the beginning steps. 

       Hope you enjoyed admiring the blue star ruby cufflinks. These beauties head to their new home Monday! I am taking custom cufflink orders too. I will post the stone sets that are available on next week! Enjoy the rest of the week tomorrow is Friday! 

Much Love, 

Amber Marie 

Bee kind

         I've been cooped up in my studio for the past two days working on multiple projects, so I decided to take a break, go lay by the pool and write todays blog. It is very important for me to change up environments throughout the week so I don't get burnt out or uninspired! This gives me a peaceful break, a fresh perspective & more space for creative thought. I absolutely love designing jewelry & losing my desire to create would be a total bummer. 

 A few examples of how I stay inspired & motivated.

• Exercise and outdoor activities really help. Taking time in nature and focusing on the exterior sounds instead of my own monkey mind does wonders.
• Changing up my work space 2 or 3 times a week. coffee shop, pool side, a friends place, or being outside where I can focus is great for me! 
• Simple yoga stretches to relax muscles and let the blood flow! Especially when I'm working at my bench for 4 plus hours a day. (This break is a must) 
• Helping others with their goals or teaching them skills I've learned 
• Taking time to create something besides jewelry, wether it be an art installation with friends or learning a new skill and/or trade.
• Meditation is the best tool I use to stay on my path. I use my bella beat to track my meditation practice, but stillI fall off from time to time. 

         I know this blog is supposed to be about the creative process of day sixes design but I just wanted to share with you what I need to do to stay in my creative happy zone. If you are feeling stuck in your monkey mind you are so welcome to use any of the examples above! I strongly encourage it. 

From left to right: Pictured jasper | Blue goldstone | Carnelian | Aventurine

The hexagon symbolizes our love for nature, positive change, our love for the bees & their gifts. 

         Oh my gosh! I'm so in love with these dainty gemstone bracelets! The little brass hexagon charms are such a nice touch. Each hexagon charm was hand fabricated, stamped, sanded & polished. Once again, I'm supporting local business, the 4mm gemstone beads are purchased locally in Phoenix, AZ! 

Click to see a informative Save the Bees infographic 

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These bracelets will be available in six different natural gemstone colors Thursday April 5th, @ 2pm MT! 20% of your purchase will be donated to help sustain the honey bees life. Stay tuned! 

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        I am very fortunate to be able to share my love for art, jewelry, the environment & so many other facets of this wonderful life. Enjoy the rest of the week.

Much love, 

Amber Marie 

Click below to purchase from the Bee Kind Collection 

Victorian Beauty

        I absolutely love amethyst; I work with it often because it is known to be the best healing stone. I believe healing from past heart break, family trauma, global issues, Mothernature's pain, & the collective pain body is very important because once we shed past pain the fear dissipates. Once the fear dissipates our life's work is presented to us. We become kinder and more loving to each other.

        I believe self-awareness & accountability is whats going to be a big part of our global conscious shift you hear so many people talking & cheering on! I strongly believe in focusing on the positive even though I know hard times are inevitable. Thats where growth happens just like a lotus flower traveling through the muck, perseverance feels so good. Shedding old skin, toxic people, toxic actions, & thoughts is perseverance. You are making a pact with yourself, a very powerful one, when you tell yourself "I deserve to share my brightest happiest self with the world." 

Love note: Forgive yourself and others. Enjoy the journey & let others enjoy their own journey as well. 

Lightly tumbled Amethyst | Healing | February birthstone | Soothing 

Love note: Try not to be so hard on yourself when you make mistakes along the way.

          This amethyst bracelet was fabricated with sterling silver. I used liver of sulfur to age the silver to give the piece a Victorian era look. The amethyst used was handpicked by me at the Tucson Gem Show last year! One of the photos shown is the patina process before the piece is cleaned. (pictured below) Patina usually smells like rotten eggs! Heres an interesting fact! You can patina pieces with warm boiled eggs. I've tried it & the piece I used came out with a neat rainbow patina in a few areas.

Liver of sulfur bath: before polished 

       I hope you enjoyed todays blog post! This piece is my favorite thus far! There are a few simple polishing adjustments I want to make before adding it to the site! I'll post on my Instagram when its ready! Wish you and yours a peaceful Tuesday evening.

Much love,

Amber Marie

My Instagram: byamberreed 

Find Love Here

          I'm a Phoenix,AZ transplant like almost everyone here! It is rare to meet a true local. I've lived here for four years now and I've met two handfuls of people who were born and raised here, strange to a small town gal like myself. I was born and raised in Traverse City, Michigan. Population 20,000+ people in TC and the surrounding counties. Everyone knows each other & they are usually born and raised in the area as well. I absolutely loved growing up in Michigan. The Midwest hospitality and moral compass that was ingrained in me from my family and community is priceless. I am very grateful for my roots.

     A jewelry piece that is a beautiful reminder of where you are from.

       This piece is meant to be worn by men & women. It gives off a earthy feel & look. It is something that you can wear every day & is also fashionable enough to wear to work. This piece is solid copper hand fabricated and aged with patina. Individually hand stamped each number & letters. The stone charm is an azurite stone wire wrapped with sterling silver. Azurite is dark blue and green, which I use to resemble the earth. A small but significant reminder for us to take care of mother nature. 

North

West

Traverse City, Michigan 

Traverse City, MI latitude and longitude bracelets | Custom available

       My sister Emily Bailey Clements is my editor & she just got back from her first vacation over seas! She jumped on my intern/custom pieces jewelry offer yesterday! Emily is currently studying creative writing at Northwestern Michigan College, so this is a perfect opportunity for her to put her wonderful editing skills into action!

Emily enjoying the Caribbean! 

       Custom latitude and longitude coordinates options will be available. Thank you so much of checking out my blog. 

Much Love, 

Amber Marie

Save The Bees

         These two bracelets both have hexagon buttons that I cut, sanded, & polished. Both are also stamped with my signature on the back.  The loop that goes around the copper hexagon to secure the bracelet is hematite. Hematite isn't a hard solid when its mined. The variety of shapes and looks you see hematite in are actually machine pressed, cut, & polished, similar to lapidary work but they are heat treated to form a solid. You can find hematite in ancient spiritual drawings as it was a sought after powder used for painting.

       Did you know the red stones aren't stones at all?  They're coral! Red bamboo coral, found in the Philippines. They are very popular in tribal and modern jewelry. It naturally comes as a whitish creme color. Before red bamboo coral, Mediterranean coral was extremely popular however, due to unregulated over-harvesting, the coral was not given the proper time to rejuvenate. So as a great substitute,  red bamboo coral has been used as a replacement and takes on color fairly well. If the bamboo coral is dyed in an oil base the longevity of the red pigment lasts much longer.

I have a few dyed bamboo coral care tips & tricks for you.

1. Don't leave pieces out in the sun for long periods of time. This will cause the red color to fade. 
2. If you purchase a strand of bamboo coral there is a trick to see if it is properly dyed. Place the strand in a glass of room temperature water for an hour or so. If the water is red it was poorly dyed. If the water is light pink thats fine because most beads and shells don't go through a thorax cleaning processes. (I always clean and check the coral I purchase and it's dye job. If it is a poor, it isn't used in my jewelry pieces). 
3. Coral is strong but can be scratched & also break when dropped. Be careful.
4. If you want your red coral's color to fade into a pink color. You can lay it in the sun for an hour on both sides. Just keep an eye on it so you can get the color you desire.  Note: some coral is dyed so well it could take years for the color to fade. 

      I hope you enjoyed the tips above & learned something new! I really enjoy sharing everything I've learned over the years. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

The Buzz...

          As you know a few different types of bees are on the endangered list. Bees are a crucial part of to our delicate eco-system, we need them for food, clothing, & eco fuel to name a few. I created a jewelry line called Bee Kind March 12, 2016. I was blown away by peoples love for the line and I donated 20% of each sale to a non-profit bee sanctuary where their goal is to share their knowledge to make the public aware of whats going on and revitalize & help the bee population thrive.  

Donate to the bees longevity here

"It all boils down to the question of whether we dare to consider the bees' own needs or only our own. The difference is vast. A healing won't be accomplished without sacrifices on our part."

--Gunther Hauk, author of Toward Saving the Honeybee

Informative and simple break down of why we need to save the bees

I hope you are having a lovely weekend with your friends and family! Phoenix is full of awesome exciting events; Phoenix Pride parade, March Madness: Final Four, Free concerts, Farmers markets, & other great family events. If you are in the Phoenix area I hope you take full advantage of all the free activities! Thank you so much for taking time to read my blog, commenting & sharing it. I read all your comments and will respond shortly if I haven't yet! 

Much love,

Amber Marie 

Follow your heart

         I chose this faceted moonstone & picked out the materials needed to design this piece the night before. I have a few of these pebble shaped faceted moonstones to work with so this won't be the last time you see this beautiful rainbow iridescent stone. I picked these beauties up at the Tucson Gem Show in February, 2016. The seller I purchased them from is a Gem distributor out of California and they are a family owned business. They are at the Gem Show every year with rows and rows of glass trays holding beautiful pieces of Mothernature's art just waiting to be treasured for years to come. I've been buying from this seller for the last four years & I am never disappointed with the quality of their stones. 

         If you haven't experienced the Gem Show in Tucson, Arizona it should be on your bucket list. There is a little bit of everything for everyone, for example; every fossil you could think of, stunning high end jewelry, 100,000+ strands of gemstone beads, jewelry classes & guest speakers, singing bowl healing rooms, the most popular to rarest minerals you could ever lay your eyes on, & yummy local food & spirits food trucks. Plus, plenty of places to sit while you wait for your bright-eyed shopping family and friends. 

      Buyers and sellers come from all over the world to Tucson, sharing their goods, passion, life long collections, & knowledge with each other. It is truly a beautiful sight to see and be a part of. The Tucson Gem Show is Jan. 27 - Feb. 11, 2018. I'll be there next year and would love to see you there! 

I really enjoyed making this moonstone ring. I didn't have trouble with the cute little heart found on the back of the stone. As you know, when sawing through small spaces there's always the chance of over cutting. This ring has a nice light weight feel to it, so you can wear it while you are doing every day activities without it getting in the way or catching on things. The ring-band is dainty but not delicate. I work-hardened it so it won't become flimsy. The photo below is the best photo I could get of the moonstones glistening rainbow colors. 

Moonstone ring Size: 5.5

I'll be posting a new handcrafted jewelry piece every day! Thank you so much for following, sharing, and commenting on my blog. I really enjoy sharing my art with you all. Enjoy this beautiful weekend with your loved ones. 

Much Love, 

Amber Marie