Kintsugi Jewelry by Ai

The Japanese philosophy of “Kintsugi” (金継ぎ) teaches us to embrace imperfection and find beauty in the broken. It is a metaphor for life and how we can navigate failure and disappointment. Kintsugi philosophy is centered on the acceptance of transience, imperfection, and the beauty found in simplicity. The practice of Kintsugi is an extension of the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, which sees beauty in the incomplete and value in simplicity.

Kintsugi has a rich history that dates back to the late 16th and early 17th centuries in Japan. The third ruling Shogun of that era, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, is said to have broken his favorite tea bowl. The bowl was unique and could not be replaced. Rather than discarding the pieces, the fragments were put back together with a glue-like tree sap and the cracks were adorned with gold. This practice has come to represent the idea that beauty can be found in imperfection. The breakage is an opportunity, and applying this kind of thinking to instances of failure in our own lives can be helpful.

It is with this sentiment we are so pleased to introduce you to Ai (pronounced “Aye”) and her Kintsugi jewelry collection from the beautiful beach town of Shizuoka, Japan. Located within a three-hour drive south of Tokyo, nestled within the unique features of Suruga Bay, and admiring Japan’s deepest bay at the foot of majestic Mount Fuji, Shizuoka provides a rich abundance of reclaimed sea-glass, antique ceramic fragments, and semi-precious stones that have been mellowed by years in the sea. It was here in 2016 that Ai started developing her craft and soon fell in love with the natural beauty and joy of creating earrings from reclaimed sea-glass, ceramics, and stones she finds along the beaches of Shizuoka.

Ai’s Kintsugi jewelry collection is a celebration of resilience and beauty, where each piece tells a story of transformation and renewal. Embrace the elegance of imperfection and let Ai’s creations bring a touch of timeless Japanese artistry into your life.