MODD PODD TM  JEWELRY

The anthropologist in me has always been captivated by how people from different cultures adorn themselves and what it reveals about their beliefs and values.

Modd Podd™, which I created during the pandemic, is a perfect example of how what you wear reflects who you are and what matters to you.  My unwavering commitment to recycling and composting, fueled the creation of this extraordinary, eco-friendly, light weight, effortlessly wearable jewelry line.

Inspiration often arises from unexpected sources and these bold, colorful earrings and brooches are no exception: created from up-cycled materials and  enhanced  with freshwater pearls, handblown Italian glass beads, and fine artisan crystals these unique and lightweight earrings are finished with sterling silver or gold plated findings.

From a young age I travelled the world and have always been fascinated with the unique materials people use to adorn themselves.  Although trained as an anthropologist, I launched my first company, Via Mia Design from a dinner table while on vacation in Rome, and was soon marketing my jewelry lines to museum shops and boutiques across the United States.

But it was the combination of the Covid pandemic and a dedication to recycling that inspired me to reconsider omnipresent pods, with their vivid colors and unusual surfaces, as an ingenious material. Like everyone else, I was stuck at home for such long stretches, drinking endless cups of coffee and feeling terrible about all the waste.  One day, I took out my jewelers' tools and assembled a pair of earrings as a lark, and soon embellished updated versions for friends and family. As I received ever more requests for the distinctive baubles, I went into production mode and Modd Podd Jewelry was born.

Daily admirers rarely guess but are delighted that the pieces originated as pods. I am asked so often where I got my earrings that I decided to sell them, sometimes even as I'm wearing them.  Totally unexpectedly, they have become great conversation starters.

Splitting my time between Palm Springs, Chicago, and other destinations, I am grateful that the pandemic inspired a new creative direction, one that makes my daily coffee intake less guilt inducing, thanks to Modd Podd Jewelry.