In this month's spotlight of Black, Indigenous & People of Color (BIPOC)-owned jewelry businesses I want to introduce you to Mojisola, the silversmith and beaded jewelry maker who owns Luxe by Perfect Melange.
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Mojisola has two jewelry businesses, one for her silverwork, Luxe by Perfect Melange, and one for her bead work, Perfect Melange. She got her start in the special occasion beaded jewelry arena. You can view her online store for that here. However for this blog post, I will focus on Mojisola's silver and gemstone jewelry line, Luxe by Perfect Melange. It is super colorful, fun and creatively designed with lots of detailed, hand-wrought embellishment. Check out her newest bracelet design with bright yummy stones. This style requires multiple gemstone bezel settings with custom chain links. These are a lot of work to make!
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I asked Mojisola some questions to learn a bit more about her jewelry-making origin story and her work.
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In a few words how would you describe the soul of your work that you hope comes across to the customer or viewer?
Mojisola: Stylish but affordable luxury, easy to throw on but glam at the same time.
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How did you get your start in the jewelry making business?
Mojisola: I’ve always been a creative soul since I was a child. I was always making dolls or anything out of paper, then I started making stuffed animals, then eventually discovered my Mum’s beaded jewelry and couldn’t resist taking them apart and trying to fix them... that got her attention, so she got me registered for a proper beaded jewelry making training when I was 16 and that was how it all began. I started making beaded jewelry professionally in 2011 and by 2016 I knew I wanted to do more than just put beads together, I wanted to create my own jewelry from scratch, so I took a metalsmithing class and I’ve been making sterling silver and gold jewelry since then.
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What’s your favorite thing to make (or favorite part of the jewelry-making process) and why?
Mojisola: My favorite jewelry making process is soldering. I love it when everything comes together to form one piece.
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What’s inspiring you right now, on or off the jewelry bench?
Mojisola: My inspiration and focus has changed over the years from making jewelry for the love of it to wanting to build a legacy, which is greatly inspired by the new life I have as a mother.
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Balancing motherhood and a jewelry business is no easy feat. We commiserated on the challenges of working primarily at night after the babies have gone to bed but when we are already tired out from the day. In spite of that, Mojisola is consistently creating new pieces and her Etsy shop is well-stocked with vibrant and cleanly-crafted jewels. She really embraces stone combinations that make for cheerful and bold statement pieces. I hope you take a moment to see it all by heading over to her shop. Here are a few highlights.
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Be sure you give a follow to the Luxe by Perfect Melange Instagram account @luxebypm for some really cool projects Mojisola has recently posted about. Also her son is the cutest and she shares great behind the scenes glimpses for those of you curious about how jewelry gets made.
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