MELANIE GRAY | KIMONO REINCARNATE

Sustainable Hand Painted Bamboo Teapot
Brooch with Vintage Kimono Fabric

Don’t let its small size fool you.  The Australian city Darwin is a hotspot for tourists.  Nature lovers will enjoy its sunny, tropical climate while enjoying tours of Kakadu or Litchfield national parks. 

With its largely youthful population Darwin’s nightlife is energetic with open markets and fresh cuisine. 

Australia is also home to featured jewelry designer Melanie Gray.

AKIYO MATSUOKA FINE JEWELRY

18K Gold Baby's Breath Bracelet
with Diamonds and Aquamarine

The 17^th century structure known as Asakusa Shrine is one of Japan’s most famous attractions.

The Shinto temple is the best known of its kind and its construction lauded the three founders of Senso-ji.

Japan is also the birthplace of featured jewelry designer Akiyo Matsuoka.

YASUKO AZUMA JEWELRY

14K Gold Wire Wrapped Bell Drop Earrings
with Rubelite 

The unconventional Ghibli Museum, located in Mitaka, Japan, was designed to “entertain children through anime projects”.

The twelve-year old museum boasts maze-like interiors, special exhibitions, a reading room, and the Saturn Theatre.  Japan is also the birthplace of featured jewelry designer Yasuko Azuma.

SATOMI KAWAKITA

18K Gold and Oxidized Sterling Silver
Circle Necklace

Japan’s twenty-six year old Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is a marvel of engineering.

With an expanse of over 12,000 feet not only is it the world’s longest suspension bridge but it was created with state-of-the art technology to withstand harsh sea currents.  Japan is also the birthplace of Satomi Kawakita.

KYOKO HASHIMOTO STUDIO

Acrylic and Sterling Silver Bibi Ring from
Prototype Collection

Located in Japan’s Prefecture of Nara stands the Buddhist Horyuji Temple.  Within its storied walls are monks’ quarters, dining and lecture halls, and sculptures.  Japan is also the birthplace of Kyoko Hashimoto.

YORIKO MITSUHASHI

The distinctive architecture of Japanese castles lightly peppers the country's landscape.

Once boasting at least 5,000, Japan is currently home to about 50 castles one of which is the 14th century Himeji Castle.

The majestic structure served as an exotic backdrop in the Tom Cruise film, The Last Samurai. Japan is also home to featured jewelry designer style Yoriko Mitsuhashi.

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.

HARUKO SUGAWARA

Konnichiwa (hello). In the fairytale Rumpelstiltskin, a magical gnome spun straw into gold.

To obtain her beautifully delicate creations, Japanese jewelry designer Haruko Sugawara uses sterling silver and gold wire in a way I didn't think possible. The results are exquisite!

In 1971, Sugawara graduated from the Junior College of Art and Design of Musashino Art University and since then she has won countless awards for her jewelry-making technique.

In addition to sterling silver and gold wires Sugawara implements an ancient enameling technique known as cloisonné to build her incredibly unique creations.

Thin wires of silver, and gold are weaved into nets and dusted with color via the cloisonné technique. The resulting sinuous pieces are like crocheted fabric.


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Photo 1 (top left): Unidentified Item of Crocheted Gold and Silver Wires
Photo 2 (bottom right):Unidentified Item of Crocheted Gold and Silver Wires