Lavi Bracelet

How do we best show our love for the mothers in our lives? Most Moms we know might suggest they should receive a practical gift. Something that benefits the whole family. Like so many moms, she isn’t thinking of herself. She is thinking of those she loves and nurtures so well.

Well, we recommend you surprise her with something completely her own. Something completely personalized to her way of being in this world. And, no gift comes closer to representing someone’s personality than handcrafted jewelry.

A handcrafted piece with meaning and a story speaks both to her and to the world, demonstrating how much she is loved and cherished. And, a handcrafted piece of jewelry sends a message that you invested your time, effort, money and your heart into it. Now I’m sure the next question in your mind is, what type of jewelry to give her? Here are a few options to choose from, though we have many more on your website and in our store.

1. Lavi

   Love the Life you live. Embrace it, cherish it, and share it joyfully with those you love. That’s how we describe our Lavi collection. If you want to give her a message of pure love, then this is the best one to get.

1. Strength
   This bold and feminine Adinkra symbol for strength perfectly reminds her of who she is – a symbol of strength to you and the ones who love her. If you have a mother who’s strong willed or have gone through many challenges in life, then this one is for her.

1. Wawa Aba Collection
   Not all mothers are the affectionate type. Some are more strict and determined in their nurturing. Others do not let their emotions show. The seed of the wawa tree is solid and strong. In Akan culture, it is a symbol of someone who is strong and tough. It inspires the individual to persevere through hardship. If she fits the bill, this one fits well.

1. Virtues
   Some mothers are the adviser type. They give you words of encouragement and wisdom as you go through the different stages of life. For the compassionate and supportive mothers, our Virtues collection is the best for them.

Found the perfect one for her? Order online here for all our handcrafted jewelries to be sent out this Mother’s Day!

Whatever you decide on giving, what’s important is that you show her how much you value her in your life in this special day dedicated to her. Look Good, Feel Good. Happy Mother’s Day to all!

ABC’s The Bachelor buying The Infinity Bracelet

It’s not everyday that St. Croix is seen for two hours on national television, but in Novemeber 2012, ABC’S The Bachelor visited our beautiful Caribbean island and filmed all that is good about St. Croix. ib designs     was delighted when Shawn (the bachelor) purchased The Infinity Bracelet for his doting suitor Tierra. She was thrilled as she skipped down the streets on Christiansted. While he did kick her to the curb at the end of the show, ib designs was showcased and we are celebrating our 30 seconds of fame .

Caribbean jewelry studio, ib designs, announced this week that its Elkhorn Collection fundraiser initiative has raised $1,500 since May 2012 to support The Nature Conservancy’s Coral Restoration Program on St. Croix & St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan. 30, 2013 - ST. CROIX, USVI – Caribbean jewelry studio, ib designs, announced this week that its Elkhorn Collection fundraiser initiative has raised $1,500 since May 2012. A portion of the proceeds from this coral-inspired jewelry collection benefits The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Coral Restoration Program.

Kris Massicott, owner of ib designs, said her customers often perceive the custom jewelry design as the “tree of life” and that is exactly what the federally-endangered elkhorn and staghorn coral is in the sea.

“These coral species are the foundation of our reef-building species throughout the Caribbean,” Massicott said. “We were excited to launch it and we are thrilled with the success of the program in such a short period of time. People love the design.”

The Coral Restoration Project itself has been a success, said TNC’s Kemit-Amon Lewis.

“The funding ib designs generates for coral restoration in the USVI will help us with our maintenance of the nurseries and monitoring of transplanted corals,” said Lewis, Coral Conservation Manager with The Nature Conservancy. “But the outreach and public awareness that we have received from ib and their collection also benefits the program.”

View video of the project here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7E8K-JUiUQ

Through the program, elkhorn and staghorn coral, previously broken from large hurricane or storm waves, are rescued and is cultivated in underwater nurseries. The TNC team maintains and monitors the nurseries, using funds from sources including ib Design’s elkhorn collection.

“Last winter, we transplanted just over 1,000 corals onto seven sites on St. Croix and St. Thomas. At those sites, we are still observing 97 to 100% survivorship of those corals transplanted,” he said, adding, “We are also observing rapid growth rates, which is very promising for the project and the corals with which we work.”

Lewis also said, “Coral reef conservation doesn’t end here though. We have more work to do, especially on the threats we can control.”

Controllable threats that result in damage to the coral populations include discharges into the ocean, pollution in our coastal environment – which includes the entire landscape of the small US Virgin Islands, physical damage to reef by boats, anchors, and divers, and unsustainable use of our marine resources.

“If we tackle these issues, we will help to make coral reefs more resilient to climate change – better able to adapt and to survive,” Lewis said. “I am personally very excited about the work that we are doing in the USVI and it is very humbling that others (including ib Designs) are also excited about our work; enough to support its continuation.”

Massicott said ib designs will continue the fundraising program indefinitely to support the restoration project, which she views as critical to our fragile oceanic ecosystem. She encouraged the support of the program through TNC directly or with the purchase of the elkhorn design, which is available in gold and silver as a bracelet, cord bracelet, ring, pendant and earrings.

View the collection on www.islandboydesigns.com .

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Kris Massicot 340-773-4322 or info@islandboydesigns.com. Also, Kemit-Amon Lewis may be reached at 340-718-5575 or klewis@tnc.org.

Photos:
http://www.prlog.org/12069896/1
http://www.prlog.org/12069896/2
http://www.prlog.org/12069896/3
http://www.prlog.org/12069896/4
http://www.prlog.org/12069896/5

Did you know that Whealan first created the St. John “J” Hook Bracelet in 1996. This was three years before we opened the doors of our small studio on Company Street in downtown Christiansted, St. Croix. We created this unique “J”  Hook Bracelet exclusively for our friends at Caravan Gallery located in Mongoose Junction, St. John. It quickly became the most popular hook  on the island of St. John. St John Hook Bracelets are all over the Virgin Islands – on locals, visitors and celebrities alike. Kenny Chesney, country music sensation and island regular got a St. John Hook Bracelet from Caravan Gallery as a gift from dear friends years ago, and like most locals, he seldom takes it off. And now you can see them on his band members and fans as well.

While we do not sell this hook bracelet on our site or in our store, Caravan Gallery has a wonderful website and would be delighted to “hook” you! Caribbean bracelets are a wonderful reminder of all that is good in our island homes. ib designs handcrafted jewelry makes you feel good while doing just that Wear well.

The arts are alive in downtown Christiansted, St. Croix. Tonight is Art Thursday in Christiansted and we are bringing out the red carpet to introduce to St. Croix some amazing one of kind sterling silver jewels. Earrings will be bursting with moonstones, chrysoprase,  garnets, and labradorite. We will be sharing new pendants with turquoise, jasper, aventurine, and peach moonstone. Whealan and his talented crew have been having a wonderful start to 2013 and we are all excited for  the possibilities and opportunities that lie ahead for us. Please stop in and say hi to the ib design family when you are on St. Croix. Be well.

The Gift of Love this Holiday

‘Tis the season of giving and celebrating love! We hope that our ib family has a joyful holiday. May we be mindful to love the special people in our lives. Today is a gift – cherish and embrace it. Happy Holidays and may your year ahead be filled with abundance.

Gratefully, Your St. Croix ib family

Shop our new Lavi Collection here…

Shop by December 12th for Priority Mail delivery. After the 12th we strongly recommend Express Mail to help Santa’s sleigh to reach in time.

At ib designs we are all about having fun. Living on the beautiful island of St. Croix inspires us to celebrate all the good things we have in the Virgin Islands. Our ib charmed Collection is playful and is a perfect addition to your Caribbean bracelet collection. You can have fun and add our island charms to your existing charm bracelet, choose from one of our fabulous charm bracelets, or spice up one of our Caribbean Bangles. The HOT thing going on now is to add charms to our versatile and stylish adjustable cord bracelets. Have fun and LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK!