Gems on call

There’s a reason why I like shopping in vintage thrift stores and flea markets. Apart from the unbeatable thrill of buying a fabulous piece at a bargain, I also cherish knowing that the chances of coming across someone with the same exact piece are close to nil. Nothing deflates the fashion ego more than crossing paths with someone who has the exact branded top and realizing that the retail market has doused your efforts at individuality.

It’s also the reason why I relish discovering fashion entrepreneurs who haven’t (yet) succumbed to the lure of mass-produced retail. A commercial space in the mall doesn’t always assure quality or class. Sometimes it’s those small-circle sellers whose contact numbers you have to hunt out which can give you the best finds, and, essentially what you really want. Two jewelry designers confirm this claim.

Ana Rocha and Macy Vida have been making gemstone jewelry for quite some time now, and although, not household names (yet), have created a clientele out of friends and other women who also value the knowledge that no nth fashionista has what they have. Their collections are limited and their pieces are one-of-a-kind. And their passion for what they do, as it shows in their pieces, is unquestionable.

Rocks By Ana Rocha

Ana Rocha’s first taste at jewelry design involved melting old coins and her mother’s old, broken jewelry and creating a pattern out of the melted metal. Later she would bring her mother’s jewelry to goldsmiths and ask them to re-style the pieces according to her own design. In these frequent visits to the goldsmiths, Ana eventually picked up gemstone terminology and enriched her knowledge on jewelry design. "Everything I know is self-taught."

Ana first realized her jewelry-making potential when Firma owners Chito Vijandre and Ricky Toledo saw her wearing her own pieces and encouraged her to put them up for sale. She took their advice, and turned a hobby into something more. It’s a "hobby gone haywire," Ana explains. Jewelry-making has become a passion she indulges in and keeps amidst a slate of other job descriptions (she has her own interior and architectural design firm, she owns the Japanese restaurant Haiku in Greenbelt, and she does fashion fashion styling for events). It’s also a hobby that she allots a lot of time to. A few times a year, Ana visits jewelry shows within the Asia Pacific region, where she purchases stones and updates herself on the latest trends in gemstone design.

Ana has a capsule collection retailing in Firma, although she and her business partners also accept made-to-order requests and "deconstruct" pieces into something more contemporary, as long as what clients want "don’t compromise my design integrity." Using chunky stones that have been dealt unusual, asymmetrical cuts, Ana’s designs are heavily influenced by her architectural background: sleek, contemporary, and linear. Although she injects a bit of vintage by setting her stones in intricately woven 14k gold that has become her signature.

"All my pieces are one-of-a-kind," says Ana. "If you buy my piece, you buy a piece of me."

Those interested in Rocks by Ana Rocha can contact 0917-8356588.