As a child, I always loved stones, beads and all things that sparkled. I used to take my mother’s hippie turquoise jewelry apart, only to put it back together, re-worked into a much better design… at least in my opinion. Years later, when it came time to choose a career, I pursued a master’s degree in social work. My interest in jewelry hadn’t exactly diminished, but I saw it more as a hobby at that time. Certainly not something one could have as a career.