I have been intrigued by jewelry since I was little which is exemplified by a story my parents would often share. While in my mother’s arms at a “fancy” restaurant, I shrieked with glee from across the room as I saw a woman approaching wearing a magnificent necklace. So began my “love affair” with glittery objects!

I have been surrounded by artists my entire life.; My dad, a veterinarian by profession, made magnificent chainmaille and casted jewelry, hand-carved and painted animals from wood and built intricate miniature train landscapes. My mother played piano like a pro, knitted, beaded and worked as a docent for many years at the Detroit Institute of Arts. My sister paints (furniture for the most part) and creates sculptures from paper she actually makes. As a teenager I dabbled in making beaded belts on a loom, but my love for jewelry never waned. So, after many years of being inspired by watching family members pursue their own creative endeavors, I decide to try my skill at designing jewelry.

It first started out with a visit to the International Gem Show in Southern California in 1997. I invested in beautiful gemstones and took several jewelry classes at a few local bead stores. With my first pieces, came immediate customers and I realized I was on to something. I decided to parlay my 20+ years’ experience in business and marketing to form Diva Beads, a company dedicated to designing and creating jewelry to enhance a woman’s natural beauty. Several years later my hobby has flourished into a full-fledged business.

Living in Southern California, I have an affinity for anything oceanic. Shells, pearls and pacific opal crystals are utilized in many of my designs, and mermaids and fish have now become my signature. Each piece is one-of-a-kind with beads, semiprecious stones, metals and pendants coming from Japan, Tibet, India, Nepal, Italy, Austria, Germany, Africa, The Czech Republic, China, Mexico, and the U.S.

Another portion of my business is incorporating my customers’ family keepsakes so that they can be worn and cherished by current and future generations. Who knew that grandma’s old brooch could be salvaged into a gorgeous, chic necklace or bracelet?!

I currently reside in Torrance, California with my husband and teach classes in bead weaving and color theory for jewelry designers and other artisans at my store/studio at CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles, a permanent craft marketplace featuring the work of hundreds of local artisans.