Gypsy

I never saw an ugly thing in my life. ~ John Constable

I have always been fascinated about the preColombian civilizations (Aztec, Inca, Maya) and a few years back, while travelling through Yucatan Peninsula, we stopped in one the touristic shops on the road. To my complete surprise, the art displayed some rugs that looked identical to the one that has been in my mom's kitchen for ages! Looking more carefully around - I discovered other similarities with parts of our culture in clothing or decorations... and some with a culture we've been intertwined with for a long time: gypsies.

The dresses of the Mayan ladies and their jewelry brought to mind the colourful, multi-skirt dresses that filled my youth: when I was very young we still had a couple of migrant gypsy families in the valleys surrounding my home city. A couple of years they will pass through the city in a caravan, and I was always fascinated by the beauty of the women, the brightness of their dresses, and the amazing display of gold jewelry. Needless to say one day they disappeared - the communist regime we were under would not allow such immense display of freedom, and obligated them to start living in those ugly grey lifeless match boxes they would call apartment buildings (I have an aversion to apartments to this day!).

A few years later I came upon some shell beads and coins. They had a beautiful shade of green and I fell in love with them. I didn't know what I could create with them, but I bought them nonetheless - not knowing the end result never stopped me from buying something I enjoy :)

The chance made it to have some friends over one evening and I brought out the album from our Mexican vacation... while browsing through we came upon a picture of one of the Mayan ladies in front of the roadside store. And I knew what my green shell beads will become: the necklace and earring set you see here.

Made with silver plated chain, silver plated findings, sterling silver ear wires and my beloved beads - they are bright and happy. Very lovely with a jeans attire or with your office business one, and amazing with a white beach dress!