EMA TAKAHASHI

The Emerald Beach in Okinawa, Japan derives its name from the astonishing emerald colored waters bordering the white sands of the beach.

Considered one of Japan's best beaches, it is a supervised beach with picnic areas, float rentals, and the incredible Churaumi Aquarium.

Japan is also the birthplace of featured jewelry designer Ema Takahashi.

A trained classical musician, Takahashi's understated yet organic designer jewelry is quietly poetic with its soft curves, and beautiful dangling gemstones.

After 20 years of performing, in 1997 Takahashi decided to move to New York to explore other aspects of her creative nature at the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T).

Motivated by her fascination with industrial and graphic design, Takahashi launched a jewelry collection about 8 years later.

Working with sterling silver, 10-, 14-, and 18-karat yellow and pink gold vermeil, as well as splendid semi-precious stones, Takahashi's designs are elegantly simple like her Triple Cross Pendant Necklaces; gorgeously elegant gemstone rings; and chandelier earrings that highlight green prehnite, lemon citrine, and freshwater pearls.

Open peony and violet flower pendant necklaces, in hammered 18-karat gold vermeil or sterling silver, are the designer's signature pieces.

These pendant necklaces, inspired by Japanese ink drawings, capture the intricacy of flower petals, and those made in sterling silver are accented with a single, pink tourmaline.

Takahashi's latest collection, the Script Collection, consists of designs using words of love fashioned from gold. Takahashi takes the curves and lines of the letters and creates unusual shapes that hang from gold or sterling silver chains.

In 1999, Takahashi received Italy's scholarship, Centro affair e Convegni; and in 2001, the Women's Jewelry Association honored her work with its Diva Award.
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Photo 1 (top right): 10-Karat Gold Love Pendant Necklace with White Topaz
Photo 2 (bottom left): 14-Karat Gold Vermeil Peony Pendant Necklace