Meet Nicole: A New Caledonian Jewelry Designer

This past summer, my family and I went on vacation to my island called New Caledonia. By some coincidence I met one of our long time customers, Nicole, who is also a designer. She was so happy to meet me that she organized a tea party with her customers to introduce me. Not only is she a great designer but she is also an amazing cook. Look at the cake she made with the sugar necklace on top!

The cake Nicole made, featuring the name of her business: Krystal

I asked her if she would like to share her story of how she started to make jewelry with us. So this is her really sweet and wonderful story:

“My story started when I went to Australia with my dad, where he would be hospitalized for several months. I just retired 6 months ago so I lived on a pension there when I found a beautiful boutique that sold jewelry. The nurses at the hospital were so nice, that my dad wanted to give them a gift, so I bought several glass beaded bracelets for them. My dad gave me one that I keep as my lucky charm. When we went back to our island, he gave me the idea to create jewelry to stay busy. I loved the idea and he was one of my first customers, but he sadly passed away a few months later.

His absence was really hard for me and still is. I am sure that it is because of him that I found Artbeads.com.

It might be strange, but every time that I needed some supplies for my designs, I would find them several days later online. I have been buying from you for almost 12 years, starting around the same time that my dad left us.

My business name is Krystal. I chose that name because I first worked with Swarovski crystal and then I added some gemstones, mother of pearl, wood and other components.

The Y in my business name is because my supplier is American (the word “crystal” is actually spelled “cristal” in French).

The K is because my dad’s name was Kameo (from Japan). I have a little turtle on my business card because kameo means turtle in Japanese. I wanted to give homage to my dad because he is the reason why I am a jewelry designer.

Twelve years ago, my dad inspired my passion, and Krystal was created. The encounter with you, Cynthia, and your husband, Devin, was a sign of a rebirth for me.

To create jewelry is for me another world: when I am with my beads, I feel close to my dad, time just stops, and I feel complete.”

Some of the many designs Nicole has made

I feel very fortunate to have met Nicole. I was so touched by her story and her generosity. It seemed like fate that we were supposed to meet. We were able to meet several times and I even taught her how to do the Peyote stitch. She gave me this beautiful jewelry set and I couldn’t thank her enough.

Nicole’s gift to Cynthia, a beautiful necklace and bracelet set

I love hearing how a small bead can change someone’s life. It definitely changed mine.

Thank you Nicole for your beautiful story.

– Cynthia

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Tags: , , , ,
Previous Post Next Post

Comments

    • Tracy Gonzales
    • August 2, 2017
    Reply

    Wonderful story! 🙂

    • Kathy Eubank
    • August 9, 2017
    Reply

    Beautiful story and love jewelry!!!

    • Laurie
    • August 14, 2017
    Reply

    What a beautiful story and also beautiful jewelry! I love the Starfish in the necklace for Cynthia ❤️

    • Barbara Dowd
    • September 5, 2017
    Reply

    Nicole’s story is heartwarming and her creations are beautiful!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

0 shares