Every piece of jewelry from The Seventh Sea is handmade in my studio in The Hague.

I work with high-quality Italian glass, a material known for its exceptional clarity, depth, and refined color nuances. Layer by layer, the glass is built up, shaped, and finished into a unique element in which ashes, hair, or another precious material is carefully incorporated.

No single piece is created in one step. The process consists of various artisanal stages in which glassworking, goldsmithing, and refined finishing come together. From the initial design to the polishing of the final piece, every detail is consciously considered and executed by hand.

Precisely because the material never reacts in exactly the same way twice, every piece of jewelry carries its own nuances and character. No mass production, but a personal object that is created slowly and with attention.

There was a time when it was quite natural for a special piece of jewelry to be made specifically for someone. Not from stock, but made to order, with attention to the material, the design, and the person who would ultimately wear it.

At The Seventh Sea, I still work according to that principle. Every piece of jewelry is only created after it has been ordered and is then handcrafted in my studio. This sometimes requires a little more time, but that time provides the space for craftsmanship and the care with which each piece is made.

By producing exclusively to order, no unnecessary stock is created, and materials are only used when there is an actual purpose for them. It is a more conscious way of working, but also one that is much better suited to jewelry that is so personal.

Because, to me, a memorial piece is not a product that should wait on a shelf for someone to choose it. It begins with a person, a memory, and something precious that deserves to be preserved. Only then does the jewelry come into being.

The packaging for The Seventh Sea is also put together with care. I work as much as possible with environmentally friendly and recycled materials, from the jewelry boxes to the fabric and paper details in which every piece is wrapped.

For the finishing touches, I use materials such as recycled fabrics, self-dried flowers, and cards made of seed paper that can be planted after receipt. Small, natural elements that make every package just a little bit different and turn unboxing into a personal moment.

Because every piece of jewelry carries its own story, I find it important that the packaging does it justice as well. Not as an unnecessary luxury, but as part of the whole: carefully chosen, consciously composed, and intended to be kept, reused, or left to grow.

This way, the experience of The Seventh Sea does not begin when you wear the jewelry, but the very moment it is received.

A handmade memorial piece does not always reveal on the outside how much time, attention, and craftsmanship went into it.

At The Seventh Sea, the process often begins long before I actually make the piece. By listening to the story behind the person or pet being remembered, examining colors, shapes, and materials, and making choices together that truly suit that individual. Sometimes it is immediately clear what feels right. Sometimes that only emerges after a number of conversations, examples, or custom-made color samples.

That personal guidance is just as important to me as the final craftsmanship. A memorial piece is not a choice you make every day, and I find it important that there is space to think about it calmly, ask questions, and search together for something that honors the memory.

During the creation process, what is entrusted to me is handled with the utmost care. Ashes, hair, or other precious materials are irreplaceable. I therefore treat them with the same attention and reverence with which I would want my own memories to be treated.

The price of a piece of jewelry therefore consists of more than just precious metal and high-quality Italian glass. Designing, personal guidance, specialized craftsmanship, small-scale production, and the time required to carefully handcraft each piece are also part of it.

I find it important to be open about this. Not just about what a piece costs, but above all about what lies behind that price.

Because, ultimately, I am not simply making a piece of jewelry. For a brief moment, I am entrusted with a small piece of someone's story, with the responsibility to create something that they can continue to carry with them.