Capitola Girl Jewelry Blog: Saturday Sparkle: Designs by Yelena

This Week on Saturday Sparkle:
Designs by Yelena

Have you ever happened upon a piece of jewelry that was so sparkly and bright, the act of just seeing it made you think of Hollywood glamour and lights? Well, as you might imagine, being the administrator of the HANDMADE JEWELRY: SATUDAY SPARKLE group on Flickr, I’ve had more than my fair share of jewelry-induced sparkle hoots lately. But two weeks ago, I saw a pair of crystal earrings with a kind of sparkle that had movie-star shine. I was moved to learn more about the dazzling crystals being used by this artist in her designs, and so I became acquainted with independent jewelry designer, Yelena Maryan, of Designs by Yelena.

Yelena Maryan specializes in custom and one-of-a-kind jewelry designs and is based in the Arlington Heights area of Chicago, IL. She is originally from the Ukraine, and moved to the United States with her husband and two children in 1989. She is a member of the Boomers and Beyond Etsy Street Team, and her jewelry work has also been featured on the Crafts Channel of the Talent Database.

After contacting Yelena, it turns out that the earrings I had selected for this week’s Saturday Sparkle post are made with Angelic Crystal -- a highly-polished faceted glass with delicate and smoky highlights that refracts light and creates a shower of rainbows with a prism effect. Don’t you agree that the shine and spark in her Angelic Crystal earrings are dazzling enough to wear with your best Hollywood-bling?

Yelena’s life-long passion for gemstones led her to start making jewelry gifts for friends in 2005. Her gorgeous gifts led to purchase inquiries, and she now designs and sells jewelry from her website as well as from her Design’s by Yelena shop at the Etsy online marketplace.

Yelena, In what areas of jewelry design do you specialize?

I design and handcraft all of my jewelry using only natural gemstones, pearls, and crystals. I am inspired by the natural colors, shapes, and textures of the materials I use, and by nature and design. In addition, each piece in my collection is one-of-a-kind.

What are your top sources of inspiration when designing jewelry pieces?

The materials I work with inspire me. When I see the gemstones, I immediately picture how they will form a unique piece. I also design them according to the needs and wants of my clients.

I noticed you have a number of pieces in your collection that use Angelic Crystal. What attracts you to that particular material?

I chose to work with Angelic crystals because it caught my eye the second I saw it. It is such a unique and happy-looking crystal. It sparks and makes any jewelry piece look so beautiful and fun. I love to work with unique colors, shapes and designs.

Well, I hope that this week you will all agree, these Angelic Crystal earrings certainly sparkled this Saturday. I’d like to thank Yelena Maryan from Designs by Yelena for sharing her sparkle with us! To see more of her original designs and jewelry work, please visit her at: