humans of bluboho: meaningful jewelry to mark our journeys

writing our stories in gold: jewelry has long been used as an intimate medium for us to mark the milestones of our journeys and measure our growth.

grow like the flowers

one of many reasons we are compelled by the wildflower is that their tenacity is unconditional and untamed. the free-spirited nature of these small–yet-mighty florals allows them to flourish in seemingly unwelcoming environments, breaking ground and blossoming between the cracks in the sidewalks. 

wildflowers teach us about acceptance of our circumstances, courage, and resilience: asking us to look within ourselves to find beauty and strength, regardless of where we are along our journey. 

reflecting on this, many can attest to the challenges and growing pains we experience as we move along our journey in search of our place in the world, a place to thrive and share our uniqueness with those around us. 

oftentimes we think back to our younger selves and long for a chance to pass along the wisdom we’ve accumulated— the words ‘if i had only known’ circling in our subconscious. 

growth and transformation are critical ingredients in the formation of our essence. no matter where you are in your journey, these periods of growth know no bounds or restrictions. 

we’ve asked the humans of bluboho to reflect on their experiences, and consider the words of wisdom we would share with their younger selves to encourage acceptance, confidence, and compassion. these are their stories.

tess

from the time i could walk, i’ve always marched to the beat of my own drum. my love for beauty and creativity was expressed in everything that i did, lacking any semblance of embarrassment or self-doubt.

my signature style included full-on princess gowns and bare feet at the local convenience store (i recall refusing to wear anything mundane or casual— especially not pants). 

the small town i was raised in perhaps wasn’t ready for the odd-yet-imaginative inclinations that i possessed; as i grew, i began to hide these facets of myself in an attempt to be accepted amongst my peers. 

i learned over the years that my perceived ‘weirdness’ was actually something to be celebrated, and only when i began challenging my fears of being expressive did i find myself feeling fulfilled and whole. 

as i continue to break down those walls, i can be sure that i am on the path that i was meant to walk. this acceptance has allowed me to meet others who share the same passions and attract opportunities that align with my vision for the future. 

long story short— own your oddities like a badge of honor; don’t be afraid to dance in the grocery store, dress up to go nowhere, and spread love and acceptance from the inside out!

this stack marks my journey of returning to my roots. the pirouette necklace reminds me of tap dancing in my hand-me-down tap shoes on the coffee table and twirling barefoot in the fields of unkempt grass in the yard. the visionary eye necklace is a symbol that i carry to hone my creative intuition. lastly, the coneflower necklace reminds me to find beauty in the process, no matter where i am in my journey.

jasmin

i wish i could go back and tell my younger self to trust the journey. it’s so easy to question yourself and want to give up, but i’m so glad i pushed through the obstacles and resistance in my path and worked towards the life i wanted, even if i (and others) sometimes questioned those decisions. 

there were definitely times when i felt lost and discouraged, but eventually things fell into alignment and my years of perseverance paid off— i made it back to the city i call home, closed the distance in my relationship after living cities and sometimes even countries apart, i hit milestones in my creative, academic, and professional development, and i’ve found myself right where i want to be.

i’ve come so far, but i feel much closer to who i was when i was young these days. i was always a bookworm and an aspiring writer. i was also obsessed with gemstones, and i’ve always loved jewelry (especially sustainably-made jewelry!), so it feels like a full-circle moment for me to be where i am today— working at an ethical jewelry brand.  

i built my bracelet stack with the full circle bangle, the revival herringbone bracelet, and the wildflower bracelet to celebrate overcoming hurdles, setting out on new beginnings, and arriving at full-circle moments over the past few years— and honouring the inspiring, empowering women who helped me get here (you know who you are). 

i love the simplicity of these pieces, which makes them so timeless and versatile: they can be worn with any outfit and still elevate my everyday looks. even the fact that these pieces are made of recycled gold feels meaningful— it reminds me that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.

natalia

if i had an opportunity to send a message to my younger self, i’d say in the voice of rupaul charles “if you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”.

can i get an amen?

growing up i felt lonely. i was not avoided, but i never felt close to anyone. always a passably odd third best friend.

the only way for me to feel connected to anyone was to listen. i would fade into the background, giving the spotlight to those who wanted to tell me their deepest secrets.

sadly, the illusion of closeness would disappear the moment i wanted to share any piece of myself. 

so i stopped trying and attempted to conform. i would be what the people around me wanted me to be.

unsurprisingly, that didn’t work and made me angry.

i rejected everyone’s expectations and wanted to embody everything that’s upsetting to people around me. i succeeded and surrounded myself only with people, who like me, were into the extreme.

but this, again, was a facade. 

i tried pressing myself into another mold. i felt like a cartoon character— completely devoid of depth. due to my lifestyle, i was forced to be truly alone. leaning into loneliness allowed me to get to know myself. i had to face my faults and discover things that make me worthy of acceptance.

i realized that i don’t have to try hard to be loved. we are all imperfect and just like you would care for your best friend i decided to nurture and care for myself.

the pieces i chose to honor my experiences are a faceted felicity ring, to remind myself that i am multifaceted, a revival stacking ring, to keep growing and renewing like a snake shedding its skin, and a dahlia bloom ring to never forget who i am, and to stay loyal to my personal values. 

jacqueline

if i had the opportunity to go back in time and talk to a younger version of myself, i would very likely have a million things to say, but the most important lesson i only started to learn in my mid-20s is that “no” is a complete sentence. full stop. you do not have to justify your thoughts, feelings, or actions to anyone.

i’m an introvert and a pisces, and this can be a dangerous combination, as i have always had an intense desire to escape reality. as a child this meant i spent a lot of time alone and with my head firmly planted in a book. i, of course, attended birthday parties and had playdates with friends, but this was always followed by hours of comfortable silence to recharge my batteries.

as a teenager, this got a little bit more difficult. i quickly started to realize that choosing to opt out of certain social situations or functions because i preferred being at home alone wasn’t considered very “cool”. i struggled with setting and maintaining boundaries and i always found i needed an excuse to get out of something because “no” or “i don’t want to” didn’t feel adequate as an explanation. 

don’t get me wrong, i do find a lot of value in putting yourself in uncomfortable situations and getting out of your comfort zone! i have learned so many things from doing just that, but as a child i wish i felt a better sense of autonomy and felt confident in saying no when i wanted to.

i have a right-hand ring stack that i wear every day and it consists of the tree bark stability ring at the bottom, the honey bee ring in the middle, and it’s topped with the kismet ring. the textured tree bark ring bears the marks of everyday life and displays my ever-growing wisdom. the honey bee symbolizes my journey to self-discovery and how i have the power to harness my potential.  and the kismet is a reminder that the universe is always conspiring in my favour, leading me onto my next lesson.

isabelle:

there are so many things i would tell my younger self… i would tell myself that the only person that matters on this journey is you: that the universe will always present the things you need in the moment, whether they are good or bad, that everything should begin with self love and self acceptance. 

i would tell myself that you are not defined by the low moments in your life. know your worth and never settle for anything that makes you feel less-than. that sometimes the hardest choices have the greatest impact.

my very first piece of jewelry from bluboho was the peaks and valleys ring which symbolized the highs and the lows of the journey that led me into my mid twenties. i had the inner band engraved with my favorite words to live by: “good thoughts, good words, good deeds”. 

the second piece that symbolizes my journey in the last 2 years since working at bluboho is the diamond revival cuff as the snake is representative of new beginnings and shedding your skin. after going through a huge personal change, this ring really signifies the new journey i am on. 

the last ring and the most recent ring that encapsulates my new journey is the lausanne ring. this ring is all about the new self love journey i am on. 

pauline

“everything will work out, if you just hold on.”

the pieces that hold the most meaning to me are my tree of life, supernova, and lasso necklaces:

tree of life as a reminder of the importance of family and staying rooted firmly into the ground, supernova for fun, bling, and as a reminder to play, and lasso because it is the necklace my husband bought me, and he always has a way of roping me back into reality when i spend too much time in the clouds.

jane

when I was little, I’m pretty sure my first full sentence was “I can do it myself”, and I have kept that as my personal motto ever since.  I have held my own on a stage in pointe shoes, a male-dominated work site in steel-toed boots, a restaurant in work-appropriate (yet very uncomfortable) heels, and many things in between. I don’t like to ask for help and I think that is something that I am still trying to unlearn: it is ok to ask for help, and you don’t have to do it all by yourself, at least not all the time.

if I could speak to my younger self, I’d tell her to stop listening to grown ups so much about your future. They aren’t growing up in your generation, so they don’t understand, so take the bigger risks. I’d tell her to stop comparing herself to others and the ‘path’. There is no plan, you’re going to go at your own pace, and that path doesn’t make you better or less than someone else's path.  I’d also tell her to start writing sooner. 

my three pieces stack would be the Lean on me ring, the Legacy ring, and the Twisted Sister.  The legacy is classic and clean, but develops its own history as I wear it, like my own Legacy.  The Twisted Sister creates some nice texture to the stack and is a bit out of the ordinary.  I love the Lean on me (one of my first Blu purchases!) as it adds a bit of sparkle without being too over the top.  It also reminds me of that “I can do it myself” line I’ve always said, and that even though I can, I don’t have to.