[By Kathryn R. Burke | Montrose Mirror | September 16, 2024]

Giovanna designs jewelry. She combines beaded semi-precious gemstones with gold and silver enhanced by a carefully curated collection of unique and special charms and objects. Her pieces are designed for mixing and layering with fine gemstone jewelry to create an elegant, Southwest Bohemian style. Constantly evolving, imbued with her life experiences and exposure to exotic cultures through her travels, Giovanna’s work is irresistibly distinctive. You can tell she loves wearing it and making it. And believing that all women want to feel beautiful, she wants to share it through creating elegance that fits every situation and lifestyle. We asked her how she came to establish Giovanna Designs. Here is her story.

I love jewelry. I’ve ways loved jewelry.

When I was a little girl, I had this big ugly “ruby” ring, one of those things that turns your finger green. But I loved it. I wore it everywhere. It made me feel special, powerful, protected. I felt regal. Most little girls dream of being a princess. I dreamed of being a queen.

I never outgrew that dream, but where it was once a fantasy enhanced with glitter dust, today I’ve traded the sparkly spray for real rubies and gemstones. I’m making the jewelry I once dreamed of. And I’m wearing it, layers of it, beautiful pieces that elevate my mood. Wearing jewelry can be life-changing.

We are always presenting versions of ourselves to the world. Whether it’s what we drive or how we interact on social media, the way we wear our hair or how we dress. Jewelry is the way we decorate ourselves. It is the finishing touch that we place on our story. So, what is it that you’re trying to say? Who is it that you want to be? Some days I’m Jackie O, and some days I’m Stevie Nicks. The clothes and the jewelry are what tells my story in that moment.

The choices that you make, the things that you do, everything you do every day is about trying to become our best self. I think jewelry is a part of that.

When you wear jewelry, you feel confident. It’s more than an accessory. Think of a cupcake. A plain cupcake is good. But add frosting and some sprinkles, and it’s next-level. Your jewelry is your frosting. It makes a statement, enhances your style. I wear it all the time, working out, riding my bike, creating in my studio, or totally decked out for an event. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, I feel more complete when I’m wearing jewelry. Sometimes it’s just a single piece, sometimes I layer it, mixing and matching, depending on my mood.

If I’m going out to run errands, I might run around in jeans and a tee shirt and flip flops. But, if I put on the same jeans and the same tee shirt, then put on Double D cowboy boots, a Johnny Was duster, and about six pounds of jewelry, suddenly, I am a Bohemian Gypsy Cowgirl. I am a completely different person than the schlep who was just running out to City Market. It’s a totally different thing. And that’s just by adding a few accessories. It elevates your look and your mood. You feel good about yourself. Which is reflected in the way your carry yourself. The way you walk: your chin is higher, your shoulders are back, you walk with more grace. You smile more, you usually make eye contact.

Wearing jewelry gives voice to how we celebrate ourselves, how we honor our femininity. We embrace that and share that. Wearing jewelry dates back thousands of years. The symbolism imbued in jewelry can be both social and personal. It is whatever we want it to be; that’s part of its magic.

When you look beautiful and radiant in something that anyone can wear, it makes a positive statement that other women can relate to. It doesn’t matter how much you weigh or how smooth your skin is. It doesn’t matter if you have a small chest or big feet. It doesn’t matter. Because it’s sparkly and shimmery, and that’s exactly what everyone is looking at. It’s the frosting on the cupcake.

View her work on her website and her Instagram page.

join Giovanna and Susan Humphrey for an Artists’ Reception, Friday, Sept. 20, “Two Western Women,” at La Noue DuBois Winery, 67289 Trout Rd., Montrose Colo.

Kathryn R. Burke is an artist, educator, author, and publisher. Visit her website to see more of  Giovanna’s and other artists’ work. https://kathrynrburke.com/writer/art-artists/