When I’m designing for Favor, my Cherokee heritage doesn’t show up like a mood board taped to my wall. It’s more like a quiet co-pilot. It's not giving me directions per se, but it definitely influences where we end up.
As an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, I carry with me a legacy of craftsmanship, resilience, and connection to the natural world. Those threads show up—sometimes subtly, sometimes boldly—in my jewelry.
Nature is central in Cherokee life, and it’s central in my designs, too. You can see it in the leaf-like curves of a hoop, the water-smooth finish of a pendant, and the grounding calm of turquoise and other stones that feel like they were pulled right from a riverbed.
The seven-point star, the basket weave, and the subtle repetition of shapes are all design elements that have existed for generations. I’ll often work in echoes of these forms, not as replicas, but as nods to the ways symbols can quietly connect us to the past. My hammered textures echo the basket patterns of my relatives and ancestors. Repeating circles mirror the Cherokee seven directions. Layers of metal and form reflect the Cherokee belief in an interconnected world, where every layer has meaning.
Cherokee storytelling tradition also works itself into my work. These stories aren’t just entertainment. Characters and themes show up as symbols for much larger lessons and truths. I love the idea that a piece of jewelry can work the same way: it carries meaning, gets passed on, and says a lot through symbols and ascribed meaning.
For me, this isn’t about making “Cherokee” jewelry — it’s about allowing the values and perspectives of my heritage to show up in what I create, in the same way they show up in the way I live.