My Happy Place – besides my jewelry bench, the beach is where I feel most at home. Growing up in New England, I’ve always felt incredibly lucky to have so many beautiful shores just a short distance away. There is something about being near the ocean that has always felt familiar to me—the rhythmic sound of the waves, the salty air, the wind against your face, and that wonderful feeling that the rest of the world can simply slow down for a while.
Since I was little, going to the beach has never been just about sitting in the sun. For me, it has always been a treasure hunt.
I can spend hours walking along the shoreline with my eyes focused on the sand, searching for shells, beach stones, sea glass, and anything unusual that catches my attention. Every wave seems to uncover something new. A perfectly shaped stone, a shell with beautiful markings, or a little treasure that has traveled through the ocean before finally finding its way to shore.
Apparently, I have always been a collector at heart.
There is something magical about the process of searching and discovering. You never know what you might find, and each treasure has been shaped by nature, time, water, and movement. No two are ever exactly alike. Their colors, textures, patterns, and softened edges tell a story long before they ever arrive at my studio.
That love of collecting has naturally become part of my creative process.
Today, I still hand-pick the beach stones I use in my jewelry designs from local shores. I’m drawn to the ones with unusual markings, beautiful colors, interesting textures, or shapes that immediately spark an idea. Sometimes I know exactly what I want to create the moment I find a stone. Other times, it sits on my bench for months or even years before its design finally reveals itself.
I love bringing these little pieces of nature back to my studio and giving them a new life as wearable art. Each stone carries a bit of the shoreline with it—a reminder of the ocean, the journey it has traveled, and the moment it was discovered.
For me, the beach and my jewelry bench have more in common than you might think. Both are places of discovery, creativity, and possibility. One is where I search for inspiration, and the other is where I transform that inspiration into something I can share with others.
So yes, a little beachcombing is definitely part of the job I love.
A little treasure hunting. A little inspiration. A little shoreline magic.
And if you ask me, that sounds like a pretty wonderful day at work.
Photos by Lisa Pelonzi
