cast away

shima disc ring

monday morning eye candy courtesy of the gorgeous designs of misa jewelry. i happened to come across misa hamamoto's work while reading stacia designer stacy johnson's fashion flock blog and became instantly smitten with the organic sculptural feel of misa's collection.

the los angeles-based designer, who spent her childhood in oahu and micronesia, first dabbled in jewelry making at punahou and became reacquainted with her love of design after college. misa eventually tired of the demanding schedule required by her career in the investment world (aptly described as "living for the weekend") and decided to make a lifestyle switch and take her hobby full-time.

the result is a collection of thoughtfully composed pieces created via the ancient art of lost wax casting which requires misa to carve a mold out of wax that, after a time consuming process, eventually becomes the vessel for her design. the islands continue to inspire misa from afar and her lovely shima collection recreates coral's porous surface with warm matte metals that seem to play with positive and negative space.

nami earrings

shima teardrop necklace

shima cuff

and, i am happy to report that the earth gets a little more love since misa also donates a portion of her sales to environmental protection and awareness non-profits.

alas, online shopping is not yet available and currently stockists are limited to los angeles. let's hope that will change after this post so island admirers can scoop up misa jewelry in hawaii.

{mahalo stacy!}