Seeing My Jewelry in a New Light

Last weekend, I took some time to review my jewelry collection and reflect on the journey behind each piece. Every design has its own story: the techniques I learned, the little projects I undertook, the variations I explored, and the ideas I had in mind when I started creating it.

As I looked at everything together, I suddenly realized something I had never fully considered before: my jewelry was created for far more occasions than I had ever imagined.

For a long time, I thought of my designs primarily as beach jewelry. I pictured women wearing them on vacation, walking along the shore, enjoying a day at the park with their families, or spending a relaxed afternoon outdoors. After all, the ocean, sea glass, shells, stones, and the natural world have always been at the heart of my inspiration.

Suddenly, I had a vision: I could see a woman who wears one of my necklaces to the office, or the one who chooses a pair of earrings for a special dinner, a party, or a date night. It may seem like such a simple realization, but sometimes the most obvious things are the ones we take the longest to see.

Looking through my collection, I was reminded of just how diverse my creations have become. With approximately 550 designs developed over 14 months, and nearly 100 pieces available, I could finally see the full spectrum of my work. No wonder my mind is always busy with new ideas! Every design leads me somewhere different, and every new technique opens the door to another possibility.

Yet, despite all this variety, I had been placing my jewelry into a rather narrow category: pieces for casual days, outdoor adventures, and beach-inspired moments. Then I asked myself a simple question: Why had I not seen what was right in front of me?

The funny thing is that I have always understood this idea when it comes to my own life. Whenever I travel, I pack a jewelry case filled with necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings. I like having choices because I know that each day brings a different experience. Without realizing it, I was already applying this philosophy to myself. I simply hadn’t extended the same perspective to my customers.

My designs don’t have to belong exclusively to the beach just because the ocean inspired them. Last Sunday, I decided to bring this realization to life. I created a video showing different facets of a woman’s life, with jewelry chosen to complement each occasion.

I wanted to show that a woman can be professional and elegant at work, relaxed and playful with her family, sophisticated for an evening out, and ready for a special occasion, all while expressing her personality through the jewelry she chooses.

I want Design by Mariel to be recognized not simply as beach-inspired jewelry, but as jewelry for professional and elegant women who adore the ocean and appreciate wearing something distinctive, inspired by nature, and full of character. I have some ideas and I created a video that I posted in social media: 

Is this a "Rebranding"? Perhaps it is, or it is simply a better understanding of what I have been creating all along. Sometimes, we spend so much time making, improving, and perfecting our work that we forget to step back and see it from a different perspective. We become so focused on the details of each individual piece that we overlook the bigger picture.

Because life offers so many occasions to express who we are, and perhaps there is a Design by Mariel piece for each one of them.