The Story Behind the Raiz Collection

I've been living in Valencia with my husband and three young children for a year and a half. But today's story isn't about that. It's about how I, an architect with over ten years of experience and a business back home, started creating jewelry. And, to top it off, I'm someone who generally doesn't wear more than just my wedding ring!

 

 

Today, I'm not going to tell you how I learned to make jewelry but how I came to desire to wear meaningful pieces and offer them to anyone who feels they serve them.

I love the off-season in Valencia. The beaches are empty and unkempt. It's true there's more trash—not left by tourists, but brought in by the sea, which, poor thing, tries to spit out what it can, after a busy season. Walking between two beaches, Patacona and Port Saplaya, in a less manicured area, I was thrilled to find a myriad of sea glass in various colors and sizes.

Yes, I also found a carpet, lots of plastics, garbage galore. But among all this, I spotted a small white and pink piece, beautifully sculpted and detailed. I thought it was coral—what did I know, having grown up in the city, only encountering sand during construction projects sprouting everywhere in the neighborhoods. Our joy was immense when we found a pile of sand, carbide, and unsupervised cranes.

Returning to the intriguing cluster with its detailed colors, I began to search the internet to see what it looked like in its natural habitat, not just tossed on the beach. It took some effort, but I finally found similar images. It turned out it wasn't coral at all but barnacles—a sort of parasitic crustacean, an architectural marvel. 

These creatures fascinated me. They attach themselves to anything they can find: rocks, shells, bottles, boats, other living beings. And you can't get rid of them! If you want to talk about resilience, this is your crustacean! Barnacles live their lives upside down, eating with their feet. Barnacles are known for having the longest sexual organ relative to body size in the animal kingdom (up to eight times larger than their body), allowing them to fertilize nearby females without leaving their home!!!

 

 

And moving on to more serious things—as an architect, I was intrigued by how these creatures expand their shells from within as they grow, by adding layers from the inside, without ever leaving their shell. Just like us humans, we truly develop from the inside out, finding our strength and essence within ourselves. 

Who would've thought you could learn so much from a tiny piece of shell found on the beach?

I immediately resonated with these creatures and felt a kinship with them. Just like them, in any moving water, currents, tides, it's crucial to hold tight to the things that truly matter, to our values. Moreover, wherever we go in this world, what truly matters is always with us and within us. From within, we grow, we nurture our families, friendships, communities.

It was a shame not to turn their story into something beautiful—a piece of meaningful Contemporary Sustainable Jewelry. And so, I learned to sculpt in wax. I eventually found a workshop where, using the lost wax technique, they transformed the barnacles into silver.

Inspired by their shape, I created first a ring than a small pendant, than a larger one and a bracelet. Slightly stylized, all these pieces remind me of these creatures and symbolize the power and resilience we all carry within us. These pieces of jewelry will be available in different options, featuring pearls, natural stones, and coral, offering a variety of styles to suit different tastes and occasions under the collection Raiz. 

The Raiz Ring: A Symbol of Inner Strength

Inspired by this discovery, I designed first the Raiz Ring. Crafted from recycled sterling silver, it captures the intricate and organic forms of barnacles. The design it's a reminder of our own resilience. Just like barnacles, we can thrive and grow from within, no matter where life takes us.

The RAIZ COLLECTION

The Raiz Ring is part of the larger RAIZ COLLECTION of Contemporary Sustainable Jewelry, which embodies the principles of sustainability, resilience, and inner strength.

Any piece of the collection can be a meaningful gift for:

It isn’t just jewelry; it's a symbol of the journey we all go through

It’s for those who, like barnacles, find strength and roots in adapting to new surroundings, who build their homes and communities from within. It’s a tribute to the quiet resilience and inner growth that often goes unnoticed but is incredibly powerful.

 Join Me on This Journey

I invite you to embrace the story behind the Raiz Collection. Whether you’re gifting it to someone special or wearing it as a personal token, let it remind you of the strength and resilience that lies within.

And next time you’re on a winter walk by the beach, keep your eyes open—you never know what little treasures you might find.

The Raiz Collection is designed to connect with those who appreciate the beauty of nature and the symbolic meanings it holds. It’s a piece for those who understand that true growth comes from within and that resilience is built through life’s challenges. It’s for the mindful, the introspective, and the adventurous spirits...