WHAT IF YOU LOVED ALL YOUR JEWELRY?

And could play to combine your pieces for different looks?

SHIBUMI client, Laura, shares her jewelry collection and shows how she combines and layers her pieces in a variety of creative ways.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

LAURA: Design Appreciator, Businesswoman, Wife, Mom to 13-year-old son and Baxter the cat. She lives her life surrounded by beauty, nestled in the East Bay Hills. The custom jewelry projects with Shibumi were an inspiring creative outlet.

JEWELRY: April HIgashi, Claudia Alleyne, Kelsey Simmen, and SHIBUMI GALLERY.

At SHIBUMI, we like to describe the jewelry we show as artful. In addition to talented artists and quality, handmade work by contemporary studio jewelers, we also have clients who love to combine their jewelry in unexpected and creative ways.

OUR CLIENTS
- Are conscious and care about who/what they support.
- Want to LOVE what they have and acquire special pieces.
- Want their jewelry to mix with different looks and work with other pieces already in their collection.

Does this sound like you?

This month we will be featuring ARTFUL LAYERING on Instagram + our Journal and offering personalized LAYERING APPOINTMENTS!

We encourage you to curate your jewelry collection and consider what you might add for your changing moods and styles.

During our August SALE we are offering the opportunity to bring in 3-5 of your favorite pieces and have us help you select new pieces to complement and enhance your collection.

Our team is experienced in combining unique layers of jewelry that feel like you. And this month is a perfect time to consider adding the right pieces to your collection.

Come visit and make a LAYERING APPOINTMENT with us!

LAYERING APPOINTMENTS

SHIBUMI: Decoding Japan's Green Grass

April 18, 2024InspirationApril Higashi2 Comments

TRAVEL NOTES FROM JAPAN
SHIBUMI: Decoding Japan's Green Grass

Did you know Japanese will meticulously tweeze weeds from their grass?

In Japan I found:

High standards are expected
It is respected to excel and focus on mastering a single skill
Kindness and cleanliness are required
Serenity is cherished
Small rituals, such as gift-giving, connect people

Below are a few of my favorite things I did on my travels:

My favorite city in Japan is Kyoto, so let's start there. The city's scale leaves lots to do with tons of crafts to explore as well as the tranquility of visiting all the shrines/temples. Then, add the food and the people - this city left me with such aesthetic delight!

Kyoto Museum of Craft & Design, Kyoto.

This museum offers a peek into all traditional Japanese crafts. It has an elegant, colorful display and explains their history. The exhibitions highlight a few contemporary makers. There are interactive demos and a sweet gift shop with many things you'll want to pick up. It's smallish scale is a good starting point to get you oriented to Kyoto and focus on what crafts you want to seek out.

Aizenkobo Indigo Workshop , Kyoto

I love dying fabric and have a soft spot for indigo; Its color comes from a specific soil. Utsuki san, the owner of Aizenkobo, personally inspects the best indigo for his workshop. He told me there used to be many indigo growers, but now there are only five in Tokushima and one in Hyogo. Natural dyes give stability and strength, but where as chemical production results fade over time. The natural dye doesn't mix with water so it doesn't wash away the color - it just improves over time. For cotton, the fabric must be dipped 100 times for the dye to reach the right color and quality, while it is 200 times for silk.

In addition to the gift shop in the front, the store has a special room in the back for custom clothing, pillows, norens, etc. If you visit, be sure to ask to see the dye studio.

Biking around Kyoto.

My favorite spot was alongside the Kamo River, where the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. The city is very flat and set up in a grid making it easy to get around. There is a narrow bike pathway, and you can see the whole city. I loved getting out early and seeing the activities by the river. People playing music, picnicking, studying, fishing and kids jumping on the stones across the river. Bring a bento box and sit by the river. Our hotel easily arranged for bikes to be brought to the hotel. It is very safe to put a simple lock on the bike and run into shops to explore. Just be careful where you park. You can often pull up to a side of business and leave your bike, but they also have very inexpensive bike lots in busier areas. You pull your bike up and it locks in your front wheel. When you return, you pay around 100 yen to get it out at the coin-operated machine.

There is so much good food in Kyoto, I'll share a few I liked.:

Woven for an atmospheric coffee shop with pour-overs, a long bar, and a few sweets. (small)

Mimio みみお was near Woven, and we popped in there for a bowl of ramen. They seemed to love American rock and roll, and the vibe was light in the atmosphere. Their clients seemed casually hip. I'm sure there are many good ramen shops. I'm just mentioning this if you find yourself at Woven and want a quick bowl of ramen.

Chrome Natural Wine Life has lovely wines, and the people are kind. After having so much saki, I was in the mood for a glass of wine. We popped in here, and I liked their inspired food, too. We sat at the bar, and it was perfect for a casual but nice dinner. We didn't have a reservation, but many people who stopped in did.

Inui is a fusion dinner. We went here with a group of friends. You pick out the appetizers/mains, and they scale the quantity based on how many people are at the table. The food was delicious and innovative, and the atmosphere was cozy and modern. Make a reservation.

Many restaurants in Japan only have room for customers with reservations, so it's good to plan ahead.

Kiso Valley: Walking the Nakasendo Trial

I liked getting out to the mountains. We spent three nights in the Kiso Valley and hiked between a few towns on the old roads the Samurai once used to travel between Kyoto and Tokyo. You can make it a hiking trip or do a couple of day walks. We splurged and stayed outside Kisofukushima, Nagano, at Tsutaya Tokinoyado Kazari, a beautiful Ryokan with an onsen to ponder life. I enjoyed this little stop up in the hills of the Kiso Valley, where there was still snow and they had both indoor and outdoor tubs. The food was included and was top quality—really an exceptional experience. I enjoyed walking through Kiso-Fukushima one day and then checking out the lacquerware stores the next day. The second day, we hiked between Magome to Tsumago. There was a cute tea house where you could stop in for a donation and meet other travelers. Keep an eye out for small wagashi shops: I had a dried persimmon with a chestnut cream treat that was to die for. I wish I'd bought a pack to bring home. The Ryokans on the trail are often full. I recommend getting off the beaten track and exploring some of the Ryokans in the hills. You can store your luggage in a train station locker between towns.

We spent our last night in Nakatsugawa. While we didn't see much of the city because we were hiking, I liked the Shabu-shabu place we found called Aoygi. An older Japanese man and his family happily practiced their English and bought us shrimp croquettes, while a grumpy Japanese man and his wife efficiently served us. It felt like a place that had been around for a while.

Osaka

I'd wanted to visit another major city in Japan. We only spent a few nights here, so my impressions were brief. The highlights were the park by the Osaka castle, a walk at night by the river, and businessmen/women hanging out with colleagues by the river drinking beer on their blue tarps. Even though the city is older than Tokyo, the architecture is mostly modern with lots of malls, pachinko parlors, and the largest arcade in Japan. So there is that flavor. I recommend a day trip to see Himeji Castle, an hour or so train ride away, and for food find some Okinomiyaki and Tokoyaki.

I was there to visit artist/jeweler Liisa Hashimoto. When I asked her about the best Okinomiyaki, she said they were all good. We followed some businessmen into a crowded place and had a good meal. Their after-work banter and beer drinking were also a cultural sight to see.

The train ride to Kyoto is only an hour long, so Osaka can easily be visited while staying in Kyoto.

Last but not least, Tokyo. This massive city is just too much. I'd rather live there than vacation. There is so much to do that one can barely scratch the surface. But a whirl through the city's energy can be fun, too. Let's first address the jet lag. It is bad. So don't fight it. Get up early and head to the new fish market.

Tsukiji Outer Market

It opens at 5 am so that you can have king crab or sushi for breakfast. Getting there by 7 am is best since the crowds start around 8 am. We followed some Japanese down a small alleyway, and they were all lined up for uni. I like uni but wasn't sure if that was all I wanted to eat it at 7 am. Following the pathway further, I found a sweet, serene sushi bar, which we returned to the next day. We tried the freshly cooked Tamago, the grilled King Crab on our first day, and some mochi with strawberries and ended up at "John Lennon" favorite coffee spot. ALL DELICIOUS! Up early, we visited twice!

I can recommend this sushi refuge: Tsukiji Itadori Bekkan. We ended up sitting by one of Rintaro's investors in San Francisco, and she said she came here every morning for breakfast when she visited Tokyo.

Team Labs Borderless If you have kids, this was a fun experience of digital art and interactions. It makes for some amazing photos and they have different installations all over Japan, too.

Koenji Neighborhood. While I can't say I experienced much in this neighborhood, it is one I'd like to return to. It is called the Retro Hub for ex-punks and a neighborhood for creatives. I was visiting an old friend, Sayumi Yokouchi, and her studio, We met and had the best Fruit Sando—strawberry sandwiches at Jules Verne Coffee. You can find them all over Japan, but these were especially good. The walk back to the train station was under the railway and the roll-up doors were opening. Looked like there were fun bars and restaurants.

I enjoy thrift store shopping in Japan and hear this neighborhood is full of them. One tip is that a big chain called Second Street is vast and has everything. It's an excellent place to browse and get to know Japanese brands. There are a lot of smaller, cuter shops, but many of them specialize in American wear. At Second Street, I went directly to the rack where the clothes were chained and found Issey Mikaki, Dries Van Noten, Yoji, and other Japanese designers I did not know. It's still a bargain compared to paying full retail. The boys loved the sneaker selection!

Other food places I recommend:

The Japanese love their chicken, and you can eat every part! This Yakatori place made it extra special, and I enjoyed the experience a lot: Nakameguro Iguchi. This group of restaurants has a few, and I hope to return to the one specializing in tempura. Reservations are required.

Pork Tonkatsu- this was yummy. Nishiazabu Butagumi, reservations requested.

This is only my second trip and visiting with friends and artists who lived there along the way certainly made this trip memorable. Ivo, my boyfriend’s son, has very intentional dreams of moving there, so I'll happily return, hopefully sooner than later.

Curated ☆ Picks // Natalie Engels

June 28, 2023InspirationApril Higashi

Interior designer and SHIBUMI client, Natalie Engels, guest curates this selection of pieces choosing works that represent the things she is drawn to: Found Objects, Star Gazing and Balanced Design. Natalie believes design directly impacts our lives whether at work or at play, in leisure and in our communities.

The Road of Motherhood; 2010-2023

May 11, 2023Inspiration, Shibumi ProjectApril Higashi

I think the road to motherhood has given me super powers! My son Ando turned 13 this year. I see him thinking and fending for himself these days and think, ‘Wow his childhood is really over!’. He still needs me but it’s different. He is carving his own path and I watch in awe as I see this fine young man grow into our world.

So with this reflection I want to honor all who have mothered with a wish for a beautiful Mother’s Day. May your super powers ignite all areas of life - family and parenthood, your career, your community and every nook and cranny in-between!

I know motherhood has made me a better person and I am so grateful. 
And as everyone warned me, it goes by so fast…  

My very best wishes to mothers everywhere for your journey!

Pearl Design & Inspiration Guide

April 7, 2023Inspiration, ArticlesApril Higashi

INHERITED

Many of us have family pearls sitting in our jewelry boxes. When I got married, I was gifted a beautiful string of pearls that belonged to my Japanese grandmother, Hisa.
Have I ever worn them?
No, not even once.

I imagine I am not the only one with family pearls sitting in a jewelry box, rarely if ever worn, but imbued with sentiment and too precious to part with.
However, traditionally set pearls and strands can be incorporated or transformed into beautifully contemporary and unique pieces.

We have a wide range of ideas at various price points!
We can restring and add a beautiful clasp, or use an unusual color thread. We can add other pearls and complimenting beads, or handmade chain to make a beautiful layering piece for your collection.

If you have family pearls you’d like to design with, look at our Pearl Design Guide below and make a custom appointment.

COMPLIMENTARY VERBAL PEARL APPRAISAL

Are your pearls real? Are they valuable?

Drop by SHIBUMI on Saturday April 8th from 1-4PM when our pearl appraiser will be on site to give complimentary verbal appraisals of your pearls.

WRITTEN PEARL APPRAISAL $120

We also offer written appraisals for your pearls and heirloom jewelry and stones.

- PEARL DESIGN GUIDE -

DESIGN IDEAS STARTING AT $350

Restringing pearls and adding a silver or bronze clasp.
Adding gold ear wire or bails (see below) to your existing peals.

Click images to enlarge

Pearls should ideally be strung with knots between each pearl. We recommend restringing when there starts to be movement between the pearls from wear. Silk is commonly used to string pearls. While it is very strong, it does wear over time. One simple way to update a string of pearls is to consider restringing them on colored silk. Something fun and unexpected like a hot pink thread or even a medium grey can liven up your pearls.

Also consider adding a contemporary new clasp which can be done with bronze or silver in this price point.

Click images to enlarge

We can also add a modern bail to one of your favorite pearls, or an updated French ear wire to your favorite pair.

DESIGN IDEAS STARTING AT $1000

Along with restringing, other ideas at this price point might include:

Adding a gold clasp
Adding other stones/pearls or bronze/silver beads
Adding a gold cable chain or handmade silver chain to lengthen your pearls
Creating a custom earring setting in silver or possibly 14k gold
Adding small gold bead accents with a simple gold clasp or chain
Creating a custom setting in silver for a ring with or without gold accents (Note: Creating a setting in 14k/18k gold starts at $2000)

Click images to enlarge

Many of our clients have wanted to add other components to their pearls. Above, are some examples where we have added other beads or stones in various colors and sizes or added a new chain.
We’ve also included examples of custom settings for rings and earrings created within this price point.

DESIGN IDEAS STARTING AT $3,000

Adding in higher-end stones/pearls with gold components
Adding a handmade gold chain to lengthen your pearls
Creating a custom setting in gold or platinum for a ring
Designing a custom earring setting in gold
Adding a custom gold bead with diamonds

Click images to enlarge

Pearls are an excellent choice for layering, especially when worn at a longer length to make them feel less formal. We can add a handmade or machined chain to extend the length to your pearls and give them a completely new look. We can also add gold beads, stone beads or other pearls, caps or custom elements to create something totally unique.

Custom settings in gold or platinum can also be considered at this price point.

DESIGN IDEAS STARTING AT $5,000

Click images to enlarge

Pearl quality can vary greatly. Many characteristics determine the value of a pearl such as shape, size, luster and color. We can source high-quality pearls or other stone beads to add to your pearls, with or without gold components.

We can also design a custom piece with our team or one of our artists.

INSPIRATION

Click images to enlarge

Feel free to be inspired!

The examples above are only some of endless ideas that can be translated at different price points. Much will depend on the actual pearls you are starting with.

Let us help make your jewelry feel more like you. We believe in expressing individuality and helping you find your creative vision!

Featured in the Guide: April Higashi, Claudia Alleyne, Kate Eickelberg, Kelsey Simmen, Kirsten Muenster, Mew Chiu, Olivia Shih, Ruth Tomlinson, Tracy Conkle