Made to Hold Meaning
In a fast-moving world, these pieces ask you to pause and to honor what matters.
Inspired by ancient symbols, celestial forms, and sacred ornaments, I create talismans for memory, love, and
transformation — small, golden reminders to carry with you on your path.
Each piece is a story.
A light passed on.
A moment kept.
Hi, I’m Joy — the hands and heart
behind A Thousand Joys.
I grew up in a small town in Michigan and earned a degree in Fine Arts. A few years after graduating, I felt called back to creativity in a deeper way. While visiting an old professor to explore new directions, fate stepped in. I noticed a poster for an art school in Florence, Italy and in that moment, something clicked. It felt like the clouds parted and the sun shone down right there. I just knew I had to go.
Within a week of arriving in Florence, I met a certain man and sat at a jeweler’s bench for the very first time. That was it. I had found the two great loves of my life: a place, and a craft.
From that point on, everything I created came from that place of love — for art, for history, for meaning, for making. And now, through A Thousand Joys, I share that story — and help others hold their own.
Behind a thousand Joys
A Thousand Joys was born from a desire to create jewelry that feels personal — like it holds a story, a memory, a secret hope. Something you don’t just wear, but return
to, like a touchstone.
My work is deeply inspired by the richness
of the past — historic architecture, ancient relics, myths, and symbols from many cultures. I’m especially drawn to the celestial and the unseen: light, transformation, energy. I aim to make jewelry that feels timeless and full of soul — modern
heirlooms that hold both beauty and meaning.
My studio and atelier is in a corridor along side a little collection of jewelers I like to think of as a little family, in the artisans district of the Oltrarno in Florence, where I craft jewelry using the same ancient jewelry making techniques they’ve been using here for centuries. In a world where most things are made with machines and computers, I strive to create pieces that are made the slow way, with my hands
and heart.
Made to hold Meaning
Handcrafted In Florence
