Today, so much of the fashion, jewelry, and accessories that we see are mass produced, cheap, and the result of unethical fast fashion practices. Rhys Kelly, designer of unique eye themed jewelry, is making a stand against fast fashion in her process. Each jewelry piece she creates is one-of-a-kind and handmade, breaking the mold of disposable, trend-oriented products that harm the planet. Instead, her individualized designs and handmade process result in a piece that is entirely bespoke, and worthy of being passed down through generations.
Fascinated by the human eye, Rhys Kelly has centered her creative production around the eye as a motif and has developed a popular and exquisite line of jewelry as a result. “Eyes have always fascinated me because no one sees the world in the exact same way,” says Rhys. “Despite this, we all have common experiences like love and loss. Too often we are wrapped up in our own little worlds and discredit the perspectives of those around us.”
These common experiences shared by all humans are represented in her work by the image of the human eye. She hand-paints the eye for each piece to match anyone’s eye color and sets the piece into personalized jewelry. Each customer winds up with a one-of-a-kind piece unique to their own eye.
The customizable and made-to-order pieces unite each customer through the symbol of the eye and its representation of the human soul while remaining distinct in their individuality, just like each person on this planet.
As each piece is hand painted, no two pieces look the same and these can’t be mass-produced. Eyes and the connection we feel to others through the eyes, by making eye contact, or reading people’s emotions and expressions in their eyes makes this symbol extremely personal, intimate, and deep. Rather than representing sentimentality through a birth stone or monogram, using a hand painted replica of one’s eye is a meaningful gesture and a great expression of love, memory and longevity.
Each piece that Rhys Kelly creates is not only unique, but of a quality that will last generations. “Imagine having the opportunity to inherit a ring that has your grandmother’s eye on it. The potential for personal and inter-generational legacy within each of these pieces is what drives me to make them and put them out into the world.”
The exceptional detail present in each piece distinguishes them from so much of the jewelry available today. In addition to eye pendants and rings, Rhys Kelly’s line includes lockets, earrings, playful beaded jewelry with charms and small fun beads hanging off them, jelly rings, phone accessories, and much more. Consistent through every item is a fine sensitivity to detail, personalization, and small surprises when you look deeper into every piece of jewelry.
Rhys Kelly jewelry prides itself in offering meaningful and sentimental pieces to people of all genders and all-ages and uniting the planet one eye at a time.
