How My Obsession became a Collaboration with my Daughter in Covid Times.
Life is all about Links. We are linked through shared experiences and through times that will be remembered forever. We remember special occasions, we remember moments, we remember those dear to us, and we remember someone’s jewelry - at least we always have.
Let us tell you more about jewelry through our perspectives:
Robin's Obsession...
Jewelry has always fascinated me, ever since I was a young girl. I distinctly remember my first day of high school science, the teacher, Ms. Beschel welcomed everyone and then told us we were going to do our first observation experiment. She then left the room. A couple minutes later on her return, I noticed she had removed all of her jewelry and then proceeded to ask the class: “What am I missing that I had on before I left?” In a room full of spaced out teens, my hand was the only one raised. “You had a gold necklace with a heart charm, a watch with a black band and a gold face, a gold ring on your left index finger and a pearl and diamond ring on your middle finger right hand.”
It was at that moment that I realized how much I am obsessed with jewelry. It was only later in my career that I began designing and creating my own jewelry, borne out of the desire to create wearable pieces that I couldn’t find anywhere else. I began studying metal working techniques, and started my own jewelry line in 2010.
xx Robin
Amanda's Sentiments...
Jewelry has always made me feel a sense of connectedness and sentimentality. From receiving special pieces as gifts from family members and friends marking special occasions and serving as material reminders of shared experiences and memories, to being given pieces from my Mom and Grandmothers’ personal collections, to collecting trinkets along the way through various travels, every piece of jewelry comes with a story. My most cherished pieces are rings from my Grandmothers’ personal collections. My ruby stacking bands from my Grandma, to which she still has the matching yellow set and my Mother has the matching sapphire set, make me feel closer to family, even when I am on my own. My late Nanny’s slim diamond band and floral engraved band, I wear most days, and I still picture her hands when I slip them on my fingers. I find myself spinning these rings on my finger when I am nervous or anxious, and I feel a sense of safety in knowing she is there with me.
As a fashion designer in New York in my mid-20s, I’ve found that my style changes constantly from season to season, but the jewelry I wear daily is almost always the same. I love simple, modern pieces that can be layered on as I add to my collection. Whether its my grandmother’s rings, earrings my mom made for me, or pieces I’ve picked up along the way - all of everyday jewelry holds a special place in my heart.
xx Amanda
LINC Jewelry was born out of a need to feel connected and grounded during the uncertainty we were feeling in the Spring of 2020. During COVID quarantine Amanda asked me why I was wearing a chain with a couple of charms around my neck everyday - not something I usually wear. When the virus broke out I was very afraid and needed some comfort and a feeling of protection. That’s when I went looking for a few pieces that I could wear as talisman around my neck and not take off until the nightmare ended. The pieces I found while rummaging in my jewelry box were a gold charm from my grandma Eva’s charm bracelet, a gold Jewish Star from my Grandma Binah’s necklace, and Ricky, my late mother in law’s, simple gold wedding band. I thought if I had these pieces on my neck those wonderful souls would look after my family. Some may say it's nonsense but it does bring me comfort in knowing I have a piece of them with me at all times.
We realized Amanda was also wearing her “lucky charms” every day too. A chili pepper pendant from a trip to Sorrento that we bought together on a family trip, slipped on a gold evil eye necklace she bought on a trip to Greece. It was a necklace she wore before quarantine started, but it took on new meaning during such a tumultuous time. It felt like both a piece of home as well a reminder of better times in the past and for what is to come. It didn’t hurt either that both pendants are meant to ward off evil spirits and repel all the bad things coming your way.
This was something we needed to share with family and friends, and you too! Why not make a collection of lucky charms so everyone can have their own talisman?
That’s when we started brainstorming LINC Jewelry. The name came out of a desire to develop a line of jewelry that would be forever personal and changeable, with a functional link to let you add to your charm collection as you please, but the name is also an ode to the idea that jewelry links us together. When wearing your LINC charms, you can mix and match or wear just one. We wanted to create a line of charms that you can constantly add to, in the hopes you’ll feel more connected to family, to friends, and to memories. Lastly, we simply couldn’t get the name LINC out of our heads since our puppy, Lincoln, was constantly licking our faces trying to get our attention as we were designing and planning. (He has been a great sense of joy throughout this time, but also a pain in the butt at times!)
We want LINC to feel like modern heirlooms, pieces that will be with you through good times and help you navigate through bad times. We hope our new collection makes you smile, brings you hope and joy, and when you are wearing our tiny treasures you feel protected, lucky and loved.
Welcome to the LINC family!