Sweet Pea Short Earrings by Zuzko Jewelry
Delicate little gold paddles climb up the understated chain, creating a sparkling effect that catches the light beautifully. Made from 14k gold fill with dainty little quartz drops, they are 2.5" long.
Because this item is handmade, it will vary slightly from the image shown.
Handmade by Zuzana Korbelarova of Zuzko Jewelry in Vashon Island, Washington.
All our designs are created with great thought and deliberation to the materials, textures, colors and movement. Some designs highlight the color and uniqueness of hand-picked gemstones; while others feature the beauty of metal alone. Most of our sterling is patinaed dark and then polished up, for the feel of jewelry worn and loved for a long time. The gold we use is high quality 14 carat gold fill which remains gold for the life of the piece (unlike vermeil or gold plate) but allows us to keep a lower price point than solid gold would.
We are a small, family business, located in the best kept secret of the Pacific NorthWest, a small island 20 minute ferry ride from Seattle called Vashon.
The ZUZKO story began 15 years ago (has it really been that long?!), when my better half gave up on trying to gift me the perfect jewel (I was super picky with the jewelry I wore, and it was not easy to find something I would love), and instead gifted me a set of pliers, an ounce of silver, and a basic wire-wrapping class for my birthday, with a card that said “make your own my love”. Little did he know where this gift would lead us….
I started creating jewelry that I would want to wear, and soon realized that I was not the only one wanting to wear it… that is how Zuzko jewelry was born.
Started in the basement of our old craftsman house in Seattle, and through many twists and turns somehow it has blossomed into a full-fledged business with over 50 galleries around the country carrying our creations! It still blows me away every time I think about it…
These days we are all involved in the day-to-day operations of our little enterprise. I do the designing and most of the making; Jason takes care of all of the “behind the scenes” that makes running a business possible and he also makes most of the components for the designs; and our little Aja helps with sorting and organizing, when she is not busy making a big mess in the studio channeling her own creativity… oh, and let's not forget Sterling, our all black German Shepherd, whose biggest talent lies in picking the most inconvenient spot to lay, the more in the way the better, in very successful attempts to trip us all :)
We have been making pretty things for over 15 years now, and I give thanks every day to be able to earn a living working from home, with my family, doing something as fulfilling as creating things with my hands.
Hope you enjoy the fruits of our labor, we sure enjoy making them!!
Artist statement:
My path began in Prague, Czech Republic. I grew up in one of the most ancient cities of Europe, surrounded by centuries of art and architecture, the old and man made amazing me at every step.
In my adult life I found my home in the Pacific Northwest, immersing myself in the rugged beauty of the outdoors and the unrestrained imagination of nature. Both of these contrasting surroundings influence my creative vision on a deep level, playing a major role in my design process. The organic, feminine, understated beauty of nature blends together with the industrial, masculine and man made in the jewelry I create.
Art has always been a big part of my life, I have been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. A gift of jewelry tools from my husband was the beginning of this creative adventure. This opened a whole new outlet and I found myself enthralled in the puzzle of manipulating metal and stone. I started creating jewelry that I would want to wear, and soon realized that I was not the only one wanting to wear it... that is how Zuzko jewelry was born.
Find more of Zuz's work here.
