Happy Friday from Italy!! Hearts are a reoccurring theme here in beautiful Umbria ...all of Italy really. During my last trip here in June, I started collecting vintage & antique beads from here in Umbria to do an "Umbrian Story Stack" bracelet. All over the little towns here, I picked up little bits and pieces ...vintage necklaces, charms, even an antique coral necklace that KILLED me to take apart. And of course, among my favorites were the Mother of Pearl & Green Aventurine hearts.

But none so special as the hand-crafted ceramic bead I commissioned from a local "artista ceramista" in Perugia. A father / daughter business, they have some of the most special pieces in the area ...and they are what I call "cuore buono" people ..."good hearts." Quintessentially "Umbrian," the colors of this beautiful main artisan bead are very traditional and so lovely for mixing and matching with other pieces ...even necklaces. Plus I added a clasp to make it easy to move from piece to piece.

I added a few little touches that are from outside Umbria ...the gold detailing, and the one moonstone, but everything else I curated from right here in this region. Having a home here now has attached us to the area ...so of course, we want to celebrate it as much as possible. I hope you enjoy this very inspired piece as much as I have been enjoying mine!!

Hand-crafted beads ...Turquoise glass, genuine red coral, gold-foiled glass, antique red glass squares, green aventurine hearts, hand carved cameo-style roses, mother of pearl hearts, with a hand-painted ceramic highlight charm. Choose size in drop menu S/M or M/L. Reg. $110 Promo $88